


Wolf Woes

by btvscharmedgirl



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV)
Genre: F/F, Henelope friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2019-11-01 13:31:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 97,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17868170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/btvscharmedgirl/pseuds/btvscharmedgirl
Summary: Hope is about to realize there is still so much she has to learn about herself and how being a tribrid affects her world.





	1. Strange Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Legacies. I am merely playing with these amazing characters.
> 
> AN: Hello there. I don't plan on making this a very long fic, but I hope you enjoy it none-the-less. I apologize for any mistakes that may have slipped through. I swear I read this chapter like 3 times.

Disclaimer: I do not own Legacies. I am merely playing with these amazing characters.

AN: Hello there. I don't plan on making this a very long fic, but I hope you enjoy it none-the-less. I apologize for any mistakes that may have slipped through. I swear I read this chapter like 3 times.

Chapter 1: Strange feelings

Darkness consumed her, wrapping around her mind and bleeding into her soul. She tried to fight against it, tried to break free, but it suffocated her. It pulled her deeper into the dark, until the only light that remained was a pin point at the end of a never-ending nothingness.

Josie woke screaming, startling herself as well as her twin sister Lizzie, who had been asleep next to her. Her breathing was heavy and coming in pants as she tried to separate the real from the nightmare. She looked at the light streaming from her desk lap.

Lizzie was holding her closely, whispering soft reassurances in her ear. It was helping, but not enough to help her shake the nightmare completely. She tried to sleep again, curled up in the safety of her sister's arms, but it alluded her. Every time she closed her eyes, she was right back in the grave that nearly took her life.

Lizzie fell back to sleep quickly and didn't wake when Josie gently slipped out from beneath her. Nor did she wake as the brunette slipped from their room to go find a quiet place where she wouldn't disturb her sister's slumber.

Josie knew it was past curfew, but she figured she would get pass if she were caught. After all, she had just been buried alive by her dead biological mother, who was being manipulated by yet another creature. Still she was careful not to get caught as she snuck through the school and out the kitchen door.

She walked through the wood surrounding the Salvatore property slowly and as quietly as she could. The moon was half full, giving her just enough light to see where she was going. She didn't want to use the flashlight until she was sure no one from the school would see it. She needed to do this, and she needed to do it alone.

As she walked, she went through the events of the day in her head, analyzing every second of it. She had met her bio mom, which is something she never thought she wanted until it happened. She had always felt different than her sister. Lizzie was so much like their mom, sometimes she forgets they share no DNA with her, but at the same time, it made Josie feel like she was adopted. She loves her mom, and never had she felt unloved, she just didn't always see herself in either one of her parents, despite her father always joking that she was more like him than Lizzie was.

Meeting Josette, for the short time it had lasted, was amazing. She could see herself in the woman, like she saw Lizzie in their mom. But it also made her realize what she was missing. Caroline was her mother, through and through, but so was Josette. And now, instead of just missing Caroline, she was also missing Jo and the life they could have had. She felt awful, like she was cheating on her mom or something.

Then there was the fact that she had basically helped kill Jo for a second time, and that hurt even more. Realistically she understood that it wasn't she and Lizzie who killed Jo, but the look on her father's face after she disappeared, made her feel like it was.

When she arrived at the gate to the cemetery, she froze, suddenly reminded why she was on her trek. On top of all her momma drama, she also had to deal with the cause of her nightmares. Being buried alive in a shallow grave, unable to move, breath, or dig her way out.

She slowly made her way to the grave she had been buried in, carefully watching her steps for any remains still lying around from the zombie fight that had taken place. Her grave was still half dug, untouched after her rescue. She stood over it, staring mindlessly at the hole unsure of what to feel. There was so much going on inside.

Josie kneeled, laying her hand in the center of the oddly shaped hole, as if to siphon away dark feelings attached to it. When the act did little to ease her suffering, she laid down in the hole, rolling onto her side, and let the feelings out the only way she knew how, through tears.

She cried for the mother she never knew and never would. She cried for the mom she missed every day. She cried for her sister, who was beating herself up over not noticing she hadn't shown for their party. She cried for her father, who had to say goodbye to the love of his life again. She cried for herself, who had been buried in that grave, who had lost all hope of being saved.

She cried until she had no tears left,

Still she laid there. Remembering the feeling of the heavy dirt compressing her body, surrounding her in darkness, consuming her very life. Remembering the pain in her chest as she realized no one knew she was gone, no one could hear her screaming, no one was coming for her.

Josie didn't know how long she had been laying there, staring into the darkness, consumed by her own dark thoughts. She didn't hear the heavy foot steps until they were over top of her. She felt something nudge her arm, before hearing the gentle whine that followed.

She looked up at the white fur cover beast in surprise. It's glowing yellow eyes unnatural for a regular wolf, but a telltale sign that it was werewolf. She had only ever seen a werewolf's glowing eyes in that of her classmates while in human form. Never while they were transformed. Her father forbade her and Lizzie from going into the cellar.

She knew she should be afraid. She heard the stories of how wolves in the primal state were uncontrollable, vicious, monstrous, and yet this wolf looked harmless. Sad even. Familiar.

"Hope?" she asked, her voice rough from crying. It had to be Hope, she was the only wolf at the school who could change at will, unless there was another wolf in the area.

The wolf let out a long whine, then nudged her arm again, as if to ask if she was okay. Josie cautiously raised her hand to the wolf's snout and gently ran her fingers along the underside, before moving up to her ears.

Hope laid down and leaned into the hand, whining slightly. With each stroke of Josie's hand, the wolf moved ever so slightly towards her, until she was laying tightly against Josie's body. Hope laid her head in the arm under Josie's and let out a little whine again as she rolled onto her side to play little spoon.

Understanding that Hope wasn't going to hurt her, she wrapped her arm around the wolf, and allowed herself to relax. Josie didn't know what time it was, but she guessed it was somewhere just before dawn. The light of the moon was fading from the sky making the already dark cemetery look pitch black.

Despite still lying in the grave that almost took her life, Josie felt calmer. Though she was still afraid to close her eyes. Too afraid to be pulled back into the endless darkness. Too afraid to relive the biological mother's final moment over again.

So, she quietly laid there, cuddled up to Hope, gently stroking her hand over the white wolf's fur, soaking up the warmth radiating off her. Hope didn't move, but she did let out soft whines every now and again. Josie wondered why, wondered if she was hurt, but until Hope was human again, she couldn't get the answer.

The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a warm glow over the gloomy graves, when Hope began to growl. It started quietly, growing in volume as she suddenly stood, positioning herself over Josie, while staring towards the path that lead to the gates. Fear overtook Josie, though not towards Hope, who clearly heard something off in the distance.

Josie was suddenly exceedingly happy to have Hope by her side. In her grief, she forgot that there was a monster out there who wanted her dead. Though she couldn't understand how she could have possibly forgotten that. Josette and what the monster had forced her to do was all she had been thinking about for hours.

Hope's growls grew louder as voices could be heard in the distance. She couldn't make out who it was, or how many there were, but Hope seemed displeased by their presence. As the voices grew louder, Hope crouched lower over Josie, so that the wolf was practically laying on her, while still ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

Josie saw her father, sister, and Emma before they saw her. It was Hope's snarl that alerted the trio that they were not alone. As one, they froze and looked toward the snarling wolf petrified.

"Shit," Alaric gulped, as he pulled his daughter behind him.

"Dad," Lizzie shrieked, peering out from behind him. "Who is that?"

"Hope," he answered quietly. "It's Hope. Don't move. Okay? Just stay here and don't say a word." He took a few hesitant steps towards the wolf and his other daughter. "Hope. It's okay. We're not here to hurt you or Josie."

Hope snarled at the man, and then barked aggressively, causing Alaric to trip backwards, falling on his back. Emma took a step toward him but froze when Hope rose from Josie's body. She put her hands in the air, and soothingly spoke, "It's okay, Hope. Josie's safe. We're not going to hurt her."

Hope laid down on Josie, who was lying very still, and let out a long whine.

Emma took a step forward, then froze, waiting to see what the wolf would do. When Hope didn't growl, she went to help Alaric up.

Alaric brush himself off, then moved towards Hope and Josie slowly. "Josie, are you okay honey?"

"Yeah dad. I'm fine," she answered shakily.

Hope jumped to her feet again, but instead of heading towards Alaric, she turned to look at Josie and then laid back down in her little spoon position, blocking Alaric from getting to Josie.

Alaric stop walking towards them. "Are you sure?" He asked while looking at the wolf wearily. He had only ever seen Hope in this form once, when she had snuck out to change and he caught her. She had been less hostile then.

"I think she's just trying to protect me," Josie answered his unspoken question. She gently stroked the wolf's ears, while murmuring, "It's okay, Hope. I'm okay. We can go back to school now. Is that okay?"

Hope whined as she looked into Josie's eyes, and then stood and circled around Josie before making her way to Alaric, her bushy tail wagging as if to put his anxiety at ease.

Lizzie took this as a good sign and made her way past her father and the wolf, to help her sister up. "What are you doing Jo. I woke up and you were gone. I was worried sick."

"I… um… I…" Josie started, but she had no clue how to explain how she ended up in the graveyard or why. Thankfully Hope chose that moment to turn towards them and growl at Lizzie.

"Alright weirdo," Lizzie said to Hope. "I won't question her. Geeze. I thought being in wolf form was supposed to mellow you out, not make you more hostile."

"Lizzie," Josie chastened.

"Yeah. I would dispense with insults before you make her angry," Alaric agreed, while looking at Hope wearily. "Let's go back to school."

Hope barked at them, then took off towards the school.

Josie watched as she left, disappointed that she wasn't going to stay by her side as they walked home. Lizzie wrapped her arms around Josie, giving her a small taste of the warmth Hope had, but not enough to ease the storm of emotions still raging inside her.

Other than the occasion howl coming from Hope in the distance, their trip back was quiet. Which gave Josie plenty of time to sort through her emotions. Unfortunately, the only thing she was sure of when she stepped into her dorm room, was how confusing Hope's behavior was and how badly she wanted her mom to come home.

Alaric told Josie to rest and that he would be back to check on her later. He had to go make sure Hope wasn't still out in the woods terrorizing the locals. His melodramatic words, not hers. He gave her a kiss on the forehead, told her he loved her and then rushed from the room.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope watched Josie walked home with her sister, father, and Emma from afar, then ran back towards the cemetery. She knew Alaric would be coming after her once he got his girls settled. She was acting aggressively, uncontrollably, and he would want to make sure she wasn't a danger. She didn't care, though. She needed time to think. Time to process what was going on in her own head, before she attempted to explain it to him.

She didn't know why she had acted so aggressively towards them. Hell, she was still trying to figure out why Josie lying on that grave, crying, affected her so strongly. Why she felt the intense need to sooth her pain.

Yes, she cared for Josie. She had always cared about her. It had just been easier to keep, not only her, but everyone at arm's length. There was so much about her life that made it impossible to get close to anyone.

For eight years, she had to keep her identity a secret, not only to protect her and the other students from anyone who wished to harm her father by getting to her, but to keep her life as normal as possible. She lived a lie for years, sitting quietly as her father was painted a monster, while knowing he had good in him. She could never have been friends with the Saltzman sisters, as much as they did try. Her father's history with their father prevented that.

Even after everyone found out who she was, she had been too broken to let herself care about anyone. The last thing she wanted was to bring death and darkness to their lives. It was just easier to keep herself locked away, avoiding everyone.

Things between them had changed over the last few weeks. She blamed it on Landon, as sweet as he seemed. He'd brought a darkness to the school when he stole that knife, shifting the course of their lives. She just didn't know how much yet.

She felt the shift happen between them. First the night she did black magic with her, and then the day she shared with Josie in town. It was the first honest conversation she had since she came to the school. What Josie said to her sunk in, made her see that she had the power to hurt people in other ways. In a very human way. Once she realized that, it was hard to not let the brunette in a little.

There was still so much about being a wolf she had to learn, and even more about how being a tribrid affects her wolf. Her intense feelings towards Josie could be a normal part of being a wolf. Unfortunately, she had little in the past to go on. Hope had only ever seen five people while in her wolf form. Her father, who had talked her through her first transformation, Alaric, who had caught her roaming the woods a few weeks after she returned to school, Landon, who she had nearly attacked when she saw him, her aunt Freya, who usually is around when she changed in New Orleans, and her aunt Freya's wife Keelin, who runs with her when she's home. Never had she felt so over protective of anyone before.

She heard him before she caught a whiff of his scent, and instead of making him search for her, she decided to go to him. He was on the dirt path that led away from the school, in his hand was a gun, which she assumed was loaded with tranquilizers. He froze when he saw her and raised the gun.

She sat down and lowered her head in the submission, making it clear she wasn't a threat. Alaric lowered the gun slowly, though kept it ready just in case. "What the hell, Hope?" he asked, and she wondered if he actually wanted an answer. He continued, so she assumed this was going to turn into a lecture, instead. "You know you are not allowed out here unless you okay it with me first. Anything could have happened. We have a monster in the cellars right now. I don't need you off galivanting around town, especially with my daughter."

Hope stood suddenly, causing him to flinch. She simply walked away from him though, and after a moment he followed her ranting as they went. When they neared the old mill, Hope stopped, turned to Alaric and growled at him, then sat. He looked at her questioningly but didn't move when she disappeared into the old structure.

A few minutes later, Hope came walking out a fully dressed human again. "I found her there," Hope said, not giving him the chance to speak. "I needed a release, and knew you would be busy dealing with everything, so I went out. I didn't think you would mind. I went to the cemetery to bury the zombie remains. When I was finished, I was heading back through the graveyard and I found her there."

Hope paused and took a deep calming breath. "She was crying, Dr. Saltzman. She was lying in her own grave and crying. What was I supposed to do? Leave her all alone? I couldn't do that, so I stayed with her."

Alaric stood, quietly observing her. "Thank you," he said after a few moments. He put his hand on her shoulder. "You did the right thing. I was just a little worried because you seemed out of control there for a minute."

"I was just protecting her," Hope said, and then quickly changed the subject before he could question her further. "Is she okay?"

Alaric sighed. His entire demeanor changed from concern for his favorite pupil to weight of the world on his shoulders dad. "About as well as can be expected. She's with Lizzie now. I need to call their mother and tell her what's happened. Not a conversation I'm looking forward to. I… Just… Thank you Hope. I'm glad you were there for her. Just, the next time you head out without asking, send a note, so I don't worry or get caught off guard like today. Okay?"

"Sure Dr. Saltzman. I can do that," Hope said."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope was sitting at her desk working on homework, when a soft knock sounded at the door. She looked up in surprise. Nobody ever knocked on her door. "Come in," she yelled, though she didn't know why. Two thirds of the student body had supernatural hearing.

She was surprised when Josie opened the door and peeked in. She wasn't sure why she was surprised. She had, on some level, expected Josie to seek her out. Her strange behavior as a wolf was enough to warrant her own inquiry into wolf behavior. She should have known Josie would be curious as well.

Josie stepped into the room hesitantly, closing the door quietly behind her. "Hi," she said quietly, then cleared her throat. "I… I just came to say goodbye."

"You're leaving?" Hope asked surprised.

"Yeah. Dad's freaked out by what happened. He's sending Lizzie and I to Europe to spend some time with our mom."

"For how long?

"A week. Maybe longer. He said he wanted to know we were safe from the monsters, but I think it's hard having us here, after what happened. We remind him of her… Of what he lost."

Hope stood up and went to her side. "You lost her too," she said. She gently took Josie's hand, and then glanced at her night stand full of photos before looking back to Josie. "It's okay to grieve her you know."

Josie looked down as tears welled in her eyes. She knew what Hope was saying was true. "Thank you for staying with me last night."

Hope smiled softly, "Of course. You don't have to thank me."

"Yeah I do," she insisted, then looked Hope in the eyes. "I really do. You stayed when I need someone the most. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Josie," Hope said honestly.

Josie gave Hope a soft smile. "I should go," she said shyly. "We're leaving for the airport in an hour."

"Goodbye," Hope said, and then awkwardly hugged Josie, something she wasn't familiar with doing. "Message me. If you need anything… or if you just want to talk. Okay?"

"Yeah. I will. Thank you Hope."

Josie left, leaving Hope alone with her thoughts. She went back to her work, finishing up as quickly as possible, which wasn't nearly as quick as she would have liked. Her mind kept straying to Josie. Something was different between them. She felt it a soon as she laid her eyes upon her. She just couldn't figure out what it was.

She finished her homework just as the dinner hour started. Normally she would take a book to read while she ate her food in an empty corner, but she decided to forgo her usual routine by joining MG and Penelope.

They looked surprised when she sat down next to MG, but didn't comment, even though Penelope looked like she wanted to. Instead, she shifted her pile of books to give Hope more room, then went back to explaining something to MG. It took her a minute to realize they were talking about some old show they both had binged. She'd never heard of it, but it seemed interesting.

She didn't realize Penelope was such a tv nerd, but she shouldn't have been surprised. After all, she didn't really know the girl much, or MG for that matter. They switched topics to a different show, only this time she did know what they were talking about. They froze when she added a comment into the conversation but recovered quickly and smoothly added her into the debate. By the time dinner was over and they went their separate ways, they were talking like old friends.

Hope laid in bed that night trying to sleep, without luck. Her body was humming with restlessness. She still had over a week to go before the full moon, and usually she had a few more days before the restless need to change set in. For the second night in a row, the need to change felt to great, leading her out to the old mill where she striped her clothing off and morphed into her wolf. This time with permission though.

Unlike the night before. Hope's only goal was to run, so she allowed her wolf instincts to take over. She took off towards the southern gates at lightning speed, her paws digging into the ground with each stride. After that, she lost all sense of time, allowing herself the joy of hunting wild animals as she ran.

The next morning, for the first time ever, Hope woke, not in her bed, but in an unfamiliar section of forest stark naked. She remembered running through the woods surrounding the school, but she didn't consciously realize she was heading away from it.

The sun was just beginning to rise, illuminating the forest, but it did little to tell her where she was, seeing as she didn't know which way she had traveled. She was hesitant to shift, worried that her wolf instincts would over take her again, taking her further from the school. In the end, she had no choice. Taking the risk, she shifted wolf form, and tried to pick up her own scent. It must have rained at some point, because the ground was wet, and her scent was gone. She set off in one direction, hoping it would lead her either home or to a town so she would know where she was.

Sometime later, she happened across a small house, with laundry hanging on from clothing lines. She morphed back into her human form and picked out a shirt and shorts to put on. The clothing was still damp, but it was something. She considered knocking on the house's door but decided to travel a little further. It would look strange if she showed up at their door, wearing their clothing.

The next house was just a few miles from the other one. She knocked on the door and was relieved when a tall blonde woman in her forties or fifties answered the door almost immediately. Hope explained that she sometimes sleepwalks and asked if she could call her dad to come get her. She figured it would be easier if the woman thought Ric was her father instead of just some random guy. She also asked where she was, because she still didn't have a clue. Turns out, she had been traveling north east all night, ending up in a small town called Esmont.

When Alaric answered the phone, she instantly knew something was wrong. The tone in his voice was in full blown panic mode. "Is everything alright?" she asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Hope?" he asked, suddenly sounding relieved. "It's Hope," he said, to someone. "Hope, where are you? Are you okay? We've been worried sick. When you skipped your morning classes, Emma went to check on you and you weren't there."

"I'm fine, Dad," Hope answered.

"Dad? Hope, are you okay? Where are you? Is someone holding you hostage?"

Hope had to chuckle at his questions. "No. I'm fine. I was sleepwalking again last night. I need you to come get me."

"Sleepwalk…?" he asked, though it was more directed at himself than her. "Where are you? I'll come get you."

She gave him the address, and then hung up with him before he had time to question her further. She couldn't really answer them with the woman sitting across from. She was nice, offered to make her some food, but she declined. Alaric would be there soon, and then she would leave.

When Ric showed up, he made a good show at being her dad. He gave her a hug and told her how worried he was. He thanked the woman for looking after her, and then they departed. They were barely out the driveway before he bagan questioning her. Starting with, "Why are a town over instead of at home in your room?"

"I don't know. I went out for a run and then I woke up in the middle of an unfamiliar forest. I don't remember running that far from the school."

"Has this ever happened before?" he asked, suddenly wondering if she was keeping things from him.

"No. This is the first time I ever woken up outside after a run, let alone miles from school. Usually, I shift back then head back before sleeping," she answered.

"Even when you're at home in New Orleans?"

"Aunt Keelin runs with me out in the Bayou. We never stay out all night though," Hope answered.

"Are you okay?" He asked again.

"Yes, Dr. Saltzman, I'm fine," she insisted.

The rest of the drive back was silent, which Hope didn't mind. She was trying to remember everything she thought and felt during her run. She had more control over her wolf side than most, it was the reason Alaric allowed her to roam the woods unattended, where as her classmates are forced to be locked in the school's transition cells. Still, despite having more control, she was still a wolf, and as such, had certain instincts that still controlled her at times. Like when she saw Landon in the woods his first day at the school. Her wolf saw something tasty and wanted it. If she hadn't forced herself to change back, she probably would have killed him.

All she remembered, or rather registered with her, was this feeling of intense need to run that way. Almost like something was pulling her in one direction. She still operated as she usually did when in wolf form, though she did allow more of her natural wolf instincts to take over. Still, she wasn't sure how and why she had ended up so far from the school.

When they returned to school Alaric sent Hope to get a shower and to put more clothing on. Which she gladly did. She was covered in dirt and felt grimy. When she was clean and properly clothed again, she headed back down to Alaric's office as instructed.

Alaric wasn't alone when she entered. Her aunts Freya and Rebekah were both sitting across from Ric in the armchairs. Excitement coursed through Hope, propelling her forward for hugs, only to be stopped by Freya. "Sorry, kiddo. We're not really here."

Disappointment filled her, but she was careful not to show it. She didn't want to show how much it affected her. She smiled at them instead and sat on the corner of Alaric's desk. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"It's alright love," said Rebekah, who was closest to her. "We're just glad you're alright. Though we could do without the scare again."

"However, we would like to know what happened," Freya said.

Hope shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. I was running like I always do. Chasing squirrels and other small creatures, and I ended up in Esmont. I remember feeling this pull toward that way and going with it. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in unfamiliar woods with only a vague idea of how I ended up there."

Freya sat forward. "Pull? What kind of pull?"

"Um… I guess like something was telling me to keep going in one direction. Like a gut instinct or something."

"Do you think one of these monsters you've been dealing with is doing something to her?" Rebekah asked.

"It's possible," Alaric stated. "Although, they usually only come one at a time and we still have the last one in the basement being a pain in the ass."

"You said it was a necromancer?" Freya asked.

"The Necromancer according to him, as though he is the only one. He's a bit of a drama queen."

"Well Hope's alive, so he shouldn't be able to do anything to her. It's just…"

"It's just what Auntie Freya?" Hope asked, pushing for her to finish whatever it was on her mind.

"I was just thinking about something Niklaus told me once," Freya said hesitantly, then looked to Hope to gage her reaction. Freya was no stranger to Hope's pain, being the one who spent the most time with her since her father's sacrifice. "You were just a baby. Your mother was still under the spell that kept the crescent pack wolves except for the full moon. Rebekah was off searching for a way to bring Kol back, and Elijah was still angry at Klaus for placing the curse on your mother. It was just Klaus and I alone with you most of the time. He confided in me one day, how he was surprised Haley wasn't kicking down the compound doors. He said, the pull to be near you as a wolf was the strongest feeling he ever had."

"How would he know that, Nik never bothered to embrace his wolf side," Rebekah said.

"He told me about something his father Ansel said to him. How when Klaus was a child, he would wake closer and closer to his village every full moon, and when Mother pulled him from the other side, Ansel would wake closer and closer to Hope. The blood of his kin called to him. That's how Ansel knew Hope was alive. That's why Niklaus killed him."

"How did he know Ansel was telling the truth?" Hope asked.

"He didn't. Not at the time anyways."

"That wasn't in dad's memoirs," Hope said.

Freya sighed, "No it wouldn't be. Your father did a lot of horrible things, but killing Ansel haunted him. He spent a thousand years wanting the love of his father, and when he finally had that chance, he took it away from himself and from you. He did tell me that Ansel was right about the pull of family. He tested the theory a few times before you came home. He said it was like a song in his head leading him to you."

"Well that all good, except one thing. Hope has no children. Unless of course, you have some explaining to do," Rebekah said, and looked at Hope seriously.

Hope's eyes widened comically. "No," she practically yelled. "No Auntie Bex, I haven't even had sex yet. That not possible."

Freya chuckled at her niece's reaction, while Alaric looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but there. He cleared his throat awkwardly, "I think we can safely rule that out. Is it possible she's being drawn to someone else?"

"Maybe," Freya said. "Have you ever felt like this before?"

"No. This is the first time I've felt anything like this," Hope said.

"Then we need to keep the possibility of outside magic being at play, open. Until we are sure what is happening, no shifting, Hope. I don't want to get another call saying you're missing."

"I can do that," Hope agreed.

"I'll look into magic that can affect wolves, while you stay out of trouble. Yeah?"

"Yes, Auntie Freya," Hope sighed.

"Yeah, like we believe that," Rebekah chuckled. "I'll come see you soon, Darling. We love you."

"I love you too," Hope said. A few seconds later, both her aunts disappeared. She moved off the desk into the chair Rebekah had occupied. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," Alaric answered. "Can't fault you for something that wasn't in your control. For now, you should go have lunch and attend your afternoon classes."

"Sure, Dr. Saltzman," Hope said. She left, heading straight to the dinning hall, where students were just beginning to arrive. She got her food and made her way through the mess of students to her new spot among her friends. MG and Rafael were already sitting there talking. She sat across from them, and once again received strange looks. She was quieter than she had been the night before, but she still contributed to the conversation here and there. It was nice having people around to distract her mind from what happened.

Even if it was only for a little while.


	2. Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Wow... I am amazed by the response. You guys are amazing. Thank you! I really appreciate all the reviews, kudos, and bookmarks.
> 
> I really hope you like this chapter.

Chapter 2: Friends

Josie was sitting on the couch in her mother's living room watching a movie with her mom and Lizzie when her tablet dinged. She picked it up to find that Penelope had messaged again, asking how she was. She ignored it, just as she had for the last twenty. She wasn't ready to deal with her just yet. She had just set her tablet back down when it dinged again. This time it was from MG, probably because she wasn't answering Penelope.

For the last three days, it had been the same with those two. Penelope would message her, then, when she didn't message back, MG would try. It didn't take her long to figure out what they were doing. She stopped answering MG's messages the day after they arrived in London. He still sent updates, every now and again, but they always came right after Penelope's fail attempts.

Being with her mom was amazing, but she was having a hard time with everything that happened. It was great to get to spend time with her, especially after not seeing her for so long, but there was a part of her that felt guilty every time she looked at her for grieving the loss of Jo. Caroline was supportive, though Josie never expected her not to be. That made her feel even worse though. 

Her tablet dinged again. She sighed in relief because it was Hope this time. "M and P are driving me crazy. They are collectively plotting to run away to London to make sure you're okay."

Josie chuckled. Once a day, Hope would send her a massage like that one. Messaging Hope was still strange to her, as anything new is. Hope had kept her up to date on what was happening at school. Which she appreciated. She found talking to Hope was easy. She didn't expect anything from her, she just wanted to talk. Which was nice, considering all the times she had refused to do so over the years.

"Tell them to relax. I'm fine."

"Yeah… And tell them you're answering me and not them. No thank you. It would crush both their hearts."

Josie chuckled again. Hope was right, it would. "Alright. I'll answer them back, but you owe me one."

"LOL… What would that be?"

"That when I get back, this doesn't stop."

"I promise."

She sent MG and Penelope the same generic message, telling them that she was fine, that she just didn't want to talk, then spent the rest of the evening working on homework. Apparently, her parents didn't understand the concept of being on a vacation. They still expected her to keep up with everything that she was missing. Not that she minded… Much. It helped to keep her mind off everything that happened.

Usually Hope would message her once she was finished with her classes, letting her know everything she missed, but she never received one. She messaged her, asking if everything was alright, but never received a response. It shouldn't have worried her as much as it did, but Hope had told her she'd been having wolf issues. She hadn't elaborated on what those issues were, but it seemed like it could be a big thing.

She messaged MG, but even he wasn't responding. So, she tried Rafael, who also didn't respond, so biting the bullet, she messaged Penelope, who did message back. Unfortunately, she hadn't seen Hope or MG since classes ended, but did tell her that Rafael was dealing with his dead-not-dead girlfriend.

The Necromancer had struck again.

Josie waited nervously for word of what was going on, but nothing came in until the next night. She was lying in bed watching a movie on her tablet, when she got a notification. Eager to finally find out what was going on she paused the movie and went to check her messages. Her heart sank when she saw what Hope had sent.

"I screwed up. Your dad's never going to forgive me."

"Why? What happened? Are you okay?"

"I let him get to me. Your dad was right. I should have stayed away."

"Who? The necromancer? Pen said he brought Raf's girlfriend back. Is he okay?"

"He's dealing. I'm going with him to the cemetery for the letter spreading."

"What happened?"

"I thought I could get the answers we needed, but he played me, and because of it, he got away with the knife."

"Did you get any answers out of him?" She didn't get a response right away, which made her think Hope did get something out of him. "Hope? What did he tell you?"

"He told me my dad watches over me every day, but he won't find peace until I do."

"Do you believe him?"

"I want to. At least the part where he watches over me, but I want him to find peace. I don't want him waiting on me."

"That's what dads do. Your dad loved you. I saw this for myself. He would want you to find peace."

"I don't know how to do that. How do I find peace with knowing I'm only alive because he sacrificed himself?

"I don't know… Maybe start with a letter. That seems like a good place to start." 

"Maybe… How are you doing today. I'm sorry if we worried you."

"It's okay. You were dealing with a lot. Honestly, my worrying over you kept me distracted from my own drama."

"Are you feeling better?"

"About the same. I love spending time with mom, but I still feel guilty for caring about Jo."

"Are you sleeping any better?"

"A little. Lizzie cuddles with me when I have a nightmare, which helps."

"Do you know when you're coming home yet?"

"Nope. Lizzie's enjoying it here. I don't want to force her to come home until she's ready. She misses having Mom around all the time."

"You're a good sister. Listen. I'm gonna go. We're heading to the cemetery soon, and I think I'm going to take your advice and write my dad a letter. I hope you sleep well."

"Thanks Hope."

Josie set her tablet on her night stand, and rolled to face Lizzie, who was already sleeping soundly in the bed next to hers. She liked how Hope didn't tell her she needed to do for her and not Lizzie. She understood where she was coming from and complemented it.

She tried to fall asleep, but her mind was racing with thoughts about Jo and Caroline and being buried alive. She didn't think the Necromancer would come after her again, now that he'd gotten what he wanted, but there was a part of her that couldn't shut the fear down. So, she decided to take her own advice, and write a letter to Jo.

When she finished the letter to Jo, she decided to write one to her mom. She knew her mom was still technically alive, but she had a lot of guilt built up, and writing a letter would be a good way to sort it through.

It took her most of the night, but once she was finished with them, she felt a little better. She decided to leave the letter for her mom to find after they headed back home. This way Caroline could understand her a little better.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

For the second time in a week, Hope woke stark naked, in an unfamiliar area. Unlike the last time however, she had no clue how she got there. The last thing she remembered was going to bed after letting Dr. Saltzman know that Landon was in trouble.

She looked around trying to get a sense of where she was and what time it was. Judging by the position of the sun, it was a little after dawn. She had no idea of where she was though. If the other night was anything to go by, she guessed she was somewhere east of Mystic Falls, but she couldn't be sure of that.

Hope didn't want to risk ending up further away by changing, choosing instead to remain in human form. She found which way was west and began walking that way, hoping that she wouldn't run into anyone along the way.

She had been walking for a while when suddenly out of nowhere her Aunt Freya was standing in front of her, with her hand on her hip, and one eyebrow raised. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't go out for a run?"

"So, did I," Hope snarked. "I don't know how I got here. When I went to sleep last night, I was fully clothed and in my bed. When I woke up this morning, I was butt ass naked in the middle of nowhere."

Freya's hand dropped from her hip, and a worried look cross her features. "Clearly, whatever is happening is progressing fast."

"Ya think?"

"Look. Walk that way," she said point to the right of her. "There's a small dirt road about a mile. Alaric's on his way. He should be there in about half an hour. Do not shift. Keelin and I are on our way too. We're leaving as soon as I'm done here. We should be there around nightfall. We'll figure out what is going on."

"Do you promise," Hope asked, suddenly sounding much younger.

"Yes, Hope. I promise we will figure out what is going on," Freya assured her. "Now go, before he gets there and starts worrying when you're not. He's was already ranting about locking you in the transition spaces because you keep disappearing."

"Knowing him, he'll do it. Those cells have been used more for vampires than werewolves as of late."

"Then let's not give him a reason to lock you up the second you get back to school. Though that might have to be an option if you keep disappearing into the night."

Hope rolled her eyes at her aunt and turned the way Freya had pointed. "Bye Aunt Freya," she said as she walked away. Unfortunately, Alaric was already there when she neared the road. He was standing next to the truck, looking frantically back and forth for her. His phone was already placed up to his ear.

"Close your eyes," she yelled from the cover of the woods. His hand automatically flew to cover his eyes, while the other turn the phone off and slide it into his pocket.

"There's clothing for you in the front seat," he said. Relief was clear in his voice. She dressed quickly, then told him he could look. He did so hesitantly, and then pulled Hope into a big hug. "You have to stop doing this. I don't know if I can handle anymore this week."

"You're not mad at me anymore for disobeying you?"

"Oh no. I'm still furious, and we will be talking punishment later. Right now, I am just relieved that you are safe."

He let Hope go. "Freya said you went to bed a human and woke up a wolf. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. A little annoyed and in desperate need of a shower, but fine," she answered.

"Good, cause you're sleeping in a transition space tonight," He said seriously.

Hope rolled her eyes at him. "I think we'll be okay with Aunt Freya there tonight. She won't let me wonder off in my sleep."

"We'll see about that," he said, then told her to get in. On the way home he filled Hope in on the Landon situation. Using the tracking bracelet, she created for him, the advanced tracking class was able to track Landon down to the city. Dorian was on his way to get him, with the assistance of Marcel, who was already on a flight there. Both their flights should be landing at any moment.

Hope headed straight for her room when they returned to the school, a pitstop on her way to the showers. She stayed under the endless hot spray until her fingers pruned, which wasn't an easy thing to do. She didn't bother with drying her hair, she simple through it up in a messy ponytail, then headed down to the cafeteria to get some food. She was starving.

MG and Penelope were already sitting their usual spots when she sat across from them, her tray filled with double her usual amount.

"You okay?" MG asked, staring at the over flowing tray.

"Yeah, I'm just hungry," Hope said, as she cut her chicken.

"We're have you been all morning?" Penelope asked, as she watched Hope wearily.

Hope took a bite of her food, and as she chewed contemplated the idea of telling them the truth. This is what having friends are for right? As they ate, she told them everything that had happened since they save Josie, glossing over how upset the brunette was. She could already see the protective nature coming out as she mentioned Josie being in the cemetery later that night.

"Man… I'm glad I'm not a wolf," MG commented.

"Yeah," Penelope agreed. "Is that normal? For a crescent wolf, I mean."

Hope snorted, "No. Not that I'm aware of but then again, nothing is normal about me. That's what makes it so frustrating. Everything is a guessing game until it actually happens."

"You said your dad told your aunt something that isn't well know, and we've been dealing with creatures that don't exist. What if this is something like that?" MG asked. Then went on to clarify when Hope and Penelope gave him confusing looks. "What if this is just something that has gotten lost over time. Like a rite of passage or something that hasn't happened for generations but is happening now because you're a tribrid."

"MG you're a genius," Penelope said, and then turned to Hope. "We can scour through all the old books in the library for wolf folklore. I'm sure there has to be some reference to this somewhere in history."

"Yeah," MG agreed.

Hope looked between them stunned. "You would do that?"

"Well yeah," MG said. "That's what friends do for each other."

"I'm…" Hope didn't know what to say. This was the first time anyone at the school had offered her anything. It was baffling her.

"Great… We broke the great Hope Mikaelson," Penelope deadpanned.

"Naw," MG said. "She's just adjusting to having super friends."

"We are so not calling ourselves that," Penelope said. She stood up and nudged Hope, "Come on let's head to the library before she protests."

Several hours later (and many classes skipped) Freya and Alaric found the trio sitting in the library heads in book, trays of food forgotten next to them, and a pile of books they had already scanned books besides them.

"What are you guys doing?" Alaric asked, looking at the mess the three had made. "You look like you've been here all day."

"That's because we have been," Hope said without looking up.

"Damn, I thought I'd at least get a hello from her," Freya commented to Alaric.

Hope looked up at the voice of her aunt in surprise. She had been so wrapped up in what she was reading she hadn't realized Freya had entered with Alaric. As casually as she could (she wasn't about to show everyone how excited she as to see Freya) she stood and went to hug her aunt.

"So, what are you doing exactly?" Freya asked since Alaric hadn't received an answer.

"We're looking for anything that might tell us what is happening to me," Hope answered.

"Any luck?" she asked.

"Not so much. Anything that we have found we can't make heads or tails of it."

"Maybe this will help," Freya said as she removed two books from her bag. "They're journals. One was Jackson's, from his time spent with your grandfather. The other was Niklaus's. I don't know when he wrote it, but it was meant for you. Rebekah found it when she went through his house in France. We were debating on waiting until you were older to give this to you, but we decided that now would be better. Neither of us have read past the first few pages, so we're not sure what he's written."

Hope hesitantly took the books from Freya, holding them delicately in her hands. She's read all her father's memoirs and even a few stray journals he'd kept over the centuries. There weren't that many of them, but it gave her a small peek into her father's mind.

"Thanks," she said, somewhat distractedly, as she made her way back to her seat next to Penelope.

"Who's Jackson?" Penelope asked.

"My step-father," Hope said. She looked up at her. "He died when I was just a baby. I barely remember him, but my mom told me stories about him. So did Grandma Mary."

Penelope quickly grabbed Hope's hand and gave it a squeeze before releasing it as though she hadn't just shown Hope such an affectionate gesture. "Well I hope there's something in there, cause we're getting nowhere here." She tossed the book she was reading onto the pile dramatically. "It would help to know what we are looking for exactly."

"How about you guys clean up and head to bed," Alaric said. "It's almost curfew and I don't want you leaving this mess for Dorian to clean up."

MG and Penelope looked at him in horror. There must be a hundred books piled up around them. They didn't say anything though, opting to just do as he said. Hope tucked the journals into her bag and helped them. Although she had a much simpler way of doing things.

She stretched out her hands in front of her with her palms up and whispered a spell she had been using a lot as of late. All the book lying on the table rose and with a twist of her wrists, the books flew back to their rightful places on the shelves.

Penelope looked at Hope in shock and awe. "You so have to teach me that spell."

Hope smiled at her. She remembered the day Freya showed her the spell so she could clean her room quickly. Haley hadn't been thrilled that she taught Hope a magical cheat to a normal problem, but Hope had been thrilled. It took her all day to master the spell, and years to perfect it. At first, she had only been able to do one or two items at a time, but the older she got and the more she practice the spell, the more items she could do. The spell was second nature to her now. Like a lot of spells that once amused her.

"Sure," she said. "I have a few spells I could teach you."

"Hope," Alaric said warningly. "Before you go teaching any spells, I want to know what they are and what they do."

"Of course," Hope said. "May I teach this spell to Penelope?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes Hope," Alaric said while rolling his eyes are her dramatics. "Go, before I change my mind."

As they made their way out of the library, Hope heard Alaric say, "I blame you for this," followed by her aunts laugh.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope was lying in her bed an hour later when her aunts came into the room. She set her step-father's journal to the side, and sat up, smiling as they shuffled around. Keelin dropped her bag on the floor and engulfed Hope in a big hug.

"So, I hear you've been causing some mischief."

Hope smiled. "No, but apparently my wolf has somewhere to be, and hasn't clued me in on the where or the why yet."

"Well let's tell her not tonight," Freya said. "I barely got Alaric to agree to not locking you up in the cellar. If it happens again, I don't think he'll be so agreeable. He kinda has a fit when you're not where you are supposed to be."

"He worries. He's a worrier. It's kind of his thing," Hope said. "Does this mean you're staying with me tonight?"

"Yes, it does," Freya said. "Keelin are going to take shifts watching you tonight. Make sure you don't disappear into the night."

"I'm sorry you have to do this," Hope sighed.

"Don't be. It's not your fault," Freya said. "At least not consciously." She sat on the bed next to Hope and took her hand. "I know you've had a hard time since your parent's deaths, but I need you to know that you never need to be afraid to reach out if you need us. We love you. Always and forever. Whenever you need us, we'll be here. All you have to do is let us."

Hope bit back tears that threatened to fall. Freya kiss her forehead, just like she used to do when she was a child, just like her mother did. She couldn't control the tears after that, and she leaned into Freya as she wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. Keelin bent down, and place a kiss on her head, before sitting next to her wife.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed wrapped in her aunt's arms. Somewhere along the way, she must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, it was morning. Unlike the morning before hand, she woke up in her own bed, still wrapped in her aunt's warm embrace. It had been years since she'd woken up in the arms of a family member. It was a comfortable place to be.

"You made it through the night kiddo," Freya said.

Hope didn't attempt move. "How long are you going to stay?"

"We're going to stay as long as you need us too," Freya said. "Why don't you invite your friend up here and teach her that spell and leave the research to the adults for the day." Hope looked like she wanted to argue, but Freya stopped her. "Just be a normal teenage witch for one day. That's all I'm asking. One day."

"Fine," Hope relented. She reached for her night stand and picked up Jackson's journal. "Here, but I want it back."

Freya chuckled as she accepted the book. "I promise. You may have it back at the end of the day. Come on. Let's let Keelin sleep for a while. This is the longest either of us have slept in months."

Hope smiled as she crawled out of bed to get ready for the day. "How is my baby cousin?"

"Your cousin is a Mikaelson through and through, a little troublemaker. She has Keelin and Vincent wrapped around her little finger," Freya laughed. "She's amazing though. She's getting so big. Vincent is getting to play full time daddy until you no longer need us, which he is excited about. You wouldn't think we had to talk him in to it. He's sends picture hourly."

Hope popped her head through her shirt hole with a smile. "Ooh… I wanna see."

Freya chuckled. "Come on. Let's eat and you can surf through the thousands of pictures I have of her."

Hope was the first to arrive out of her friends, which wasn't much of a surprise. It was Saturday after all. Most students didn't mosey down to the dining hall until just before the kitchen closed for the morning. She was kind of glad it was just her and Freya. It gave her time to gush over her cousin and catch up with her aunt.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope opened her dorm room door and stood back, allowing MG and Penelope to enter before her. Other than Roman, who broke into her room, and Josie, no student had ever been in her room before. She, thanks to her family practically funding the school, got one of the few singles in the school. Though, she also assumed her single room status was because of her being a Mikaelson, what with a long history of being unpredictable evil doers.

"Damn, wish I got my own room," Penelope exclaimed as she looked around the room.

MG wondered toward the window, his eye on the canvases sitting in the corner. "You paint?" he asked and began flipping through the painting without Hope's permission. "Damn, these are good." He picked one up to get a better view of it.

Hope stood by the door nervously watching as MG admired her paintings. No one outside of her family had seen her paintings before. Not even the art teacher. She preferred to keep that skill to herself.

Penelope walked up behind MG to get a good look at the painting he was holding. "Is that your dad?"

In MG's hands was a portrait of Klaus from the first day she met him after her family's five-year slumber. He was sitting at her little table in the garden, with a soft smile on his face as he drew her a picture. That memory had been drilled into her mind for so long, that one day she had to paint it out.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "That's my dad."

Penelope bent down and flipped though the painting. "You paint him a lot," she stated. "He seems kinda normal." She held up one of him laughing. "Nothing like the textbooks say he was like."

Hope walked over to her friends, smiling sadly at the painting. "He had a side only me and my family saw. He could be as evil as they say he was though, but how evil depended on who's telling the story. For some he's the villain, but for me, he's a hero."

Penelope put the painting back and move to sit in her arm chair. "So, what's the plan? Are we heading to the library again, or are you going to teach me that bitchin spell?"

Hope smiled. "You can't tell anyone I have these. Dr. Saltzman will make my aunt take them home if he knows I have them."

Penelope stood from the chair and walked over to where Hope disappeared under her bed. She sat down on the floor and watched as Hope pulled book after book from beneath her bed, all looking older than the last. She eagerly grabbed the closest one, and carefully opened it.

"What are they?" MG asked, as he too sat on the floor and took a book.

"Grimoires," Penelope said in awe. "How did you get all these?"

"Well, this one is a remake of my grandmother's. My aunts and uncle were kind enough to recreate every spell in the original for me. The rest were collected by my family over the last thousand years. My Uncle Kol was the only one of my dad's siblings to tap into his power before my grandmother turned them into vampires. He spent much of his vampire life studying every type of magic on the earth. My father was also obsessed with collecting them, though nobody really knows why, or if they do, they don't want me to know. This is only a fraction of the collection. These are the ones my Aunts and Uncle deemed safe for me to have. Though, I do have a few they don't know about. The rest are at my home in New Orleans."

"Damn," Penelope drawled, impressed by the pile in front of her. "I should have hung out with you sooner."

Hope smiled. She picked through the pile until she found the book she was looking for. She opened the page to the spell she had performed in the library, then handed the book to Penelope.

They spent the rest of the day, practicing that spell, along with a few others. Penelope was a quick learner and mastered them quickly. It would take her time to perfect the spells like Hope, but she had the basic gist of them.

Hope even told them about some of the other types of magics her uncle had taught her. Types of magic only referenced at the school, but not taught. She knew Alaric would have a fit if he knew she was teaching them that type of magic, but she didn't see the harm in it.

Penelope was impressed with everything she taught her, and an eager student. MG seemed a little bored with the technicality of the spells but got a kick out of what happened when they cast the spells. He even had to laugh when Penelope hit Hope in the head with a book during one of her attempts at the organization spell. That was until, Penelope got better control over where the object where going and began hitting him in the head as revenge. Hope got a kick out of that.

After dinner, Penelope and MG went back to their own rooms to work on some unfinished homework, while Hope took the opportunity to do the same. She was a little behind in her class work because of everything happening. She wasn't about to let a little thing like her wolf woes crush her A average.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Josie was sitting at their kitchen table, with her tablet sitting in front of her. It was late, just past two in the morning in London. Her mom and sister were both sleeping soundly. She on the other hand couldn't sleep. She was anxiously waiting for Hope to pick up on her end. She hoped it wasn't to late there, because it was taking her a long while to answer.

Finally, the messenger said the call was connecting, and after a moment, Hope's smiling face graced her screen. "Hey," she said. "Is everything alright? It must be late there."

"It is," Josie said. "I couldn't sleep. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. My aunts were just showing me a fresh batch of pictures of my cousin." Hope paused and could be seen reaching for something. "Look," she said as she came back into view, and held a phone up to the camera. "Isn't she cute?"

Josie smiled at the adorably baby on the screen. "She's adorable. That's your aunt Freya's daughter, right?"

"Yeah. And Keelin's. They're here. Say hi." Hope disappeared from the screen again, and a moment later she was looking at Freya, who she'd met once on one of her visits, and whom she assumed was Keelin.

"Hello," she said politely. "Your daughter's adorable."

"Thanks," Keelin said.

The camera moved again, blurring the picture on Josie's screen. "I'm just going to go sit outside for a few," she heard Hope say. Josie assumed she was talking to her aunts. She heard a door click shut, then a moment later, Hope was back on the screen. "Are you okay?" she asked, worry evident in voice. "Are you still having nightmares."

Josie nodded her head.

"The same one?"

"Yeah," Josie choked. "Same one."

"Can I help?"

Josie smiled weakly as tears welled in her eyes. "You already are."

"I wish you would tell your mom. She might be able to help. My mom always did when I had nightmares."

She could hear the emotions in Hope's voice, as she mentioned her own mother, which caused the welled tears to break free. "I don't want to upset her. She and Lizzie are having such a good time."

"You don't have to tell her what's happening if you don't want to. I'm sure she would understand if you just needed a hug from her," Hope offered.

"Yeah."

Hope sighed. "You have such a big heart, Josie. Always thinking of everyone else before yourself. When will it be time for you?"

"When everyone else is taken care of first," Josie smiled weakly.

Hope smiled back, knowing it was probably true.

"I should let you go, so you can go back to your aunts," Josie said.

"I can stay for a while," Hope offered.

"No. You go and enjoy having them around. I'm going to go back to bed and try to get some sleep."

"Okay. Call me if you can't sleep or have another nightmare," Hope insisted.

"Thanks Hope. Goodnight," Josie said, then clicked the end button before Hope could respond. She closed her tablet and quietly stared at it for a while, thinking over what Hope had said.

Deciding to take Hope's advice, she stood and quietly made her way through the house to her mother's room. She opened the door, peeking her head in like a child, before making her way to her mom's bed. She hadn't crawl into bed with one of her parents since her and Lizzie were kids, when they would sneak into their rooms early in the morning to wake them.

"Mom," she said quietly, hesitantly. When she didn't get a response, she gently shook Caroline's shoulder, who was suddenly wide awake, staring up at her in worry.

"What's wrong honey?"

Josie tried to get the words out. She really did, but in the end the only thing she managed to do was cry. Within seconds, Caroline was sitting up and pulling Josie down next to her at the same time. She engulfed Josie in her arms and rocked her as she cried.

Caroline didn't ask her what was wrong again. She already knew what it was. She had been waiting for days, praying that Josie would finally be able to let everything she was feeling out. Giving her soft hugs and encouraging mantras that she hoped might help. She wasn't mad that her daughter was grieving a mother who wasn't her. She wasn't upset that it took Josie a week to come to her. She was worried that Josie wasn't taking care of herself. She was worried that the nightmares that kept her daughter awake all night would cause more harm to her baby. And she was pissed that the Necromancer had done this to her in the first place. She pulled Josie close to her, holding her through the night, giving her as much love as she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't know, I will be posting a new chapter every Wednesday for now. I'll let you know if this changes.


	3. In to the Cell

Chapter 3: In to the Cell

Keelin was sitting in Hope's arm chair silently reading on her tablet. She had opted to take the first watch since her beautiful wife had let her sleep until almost noon, something that hasn't happened since before the baby was born.

All was quiet in the room. Both Hope and Freya were asleep, though in separate beds, unlike the night before. Keelin looked up as Hope rolled over in her sleep, before returning her attention on her book.

A little while later, she heard Hope rustling around in her bed, then the telltale signs of breaking bones and tearing clothing. By the time she had stood and tossed her tablet to the side, Hope was standing next to her bed, completely wolfed out.

"Freya," Keelin said loudly, though not too loudly that she startled the wolf. Freya, twitched in her sleep, but did not wake up.

Hope growled at Keelin, loudly, which seemed to alert the other witch that something was wrong.

She woke groggily, staring straight in to the eyes of her niece's glowing yellow ones. "Shit," she said, and she sprang from the bed.

Hope growled again, louder this time, but turned away from Freya to face the door, which magically opened, allowing her to strut right out.

Both her aunts followed her quickly, though Freya did stop briefly to grab a small pouch from her purse. Hope was quick though. She was already at the school's front doors, when Freya caught up with her. She yelled for her to stop, which gave Keelin enough of a distraction to speed her way in front of her, blocking her way out.

Hope was not happy with this and growled viciously at the woman. Freya magicked the pouch through the air to Keelin. "Blow some in her face."

Keelin did as her wife instructed and held her breath as she waited for the powder to do its magic. Hope was mid growl when she suddenly dropped to the floor, out cold. She let a sigh of relief, and then looked to her wife. "So, I don't think you're going to be able to convince Alaric not to lock her up this time."

Freya laughed while releasing a sigh of relief. "Don't worry. He won't even need to convince me. Can you go wake the sleeping dragon, while I get our niece settled in downstairs, please?"

"She's going to be so pissed at us in the morning," Keelin said. She gave Freya a quick kiss on the cheek, then went off towards the adult's only wing of the school.

Freya sighed at her sleeping niece, taking a moment to take in the beauty of this form, then levitated her down into the cellar. She floated Hope onto the cot, making sure to not bump her head on the railing. She exited the cell and cast a barrier spell that not even Hope could break through.

Alaric and Keelin found her watching Hope sleep a little while later.

"What do we know?" he asked, as he too watched the sleeping white wolf.

"One second she was asleep, and the next she was shifting," Keelin said.

"And she can do magic while in that form," Freya added.

Alaric turned to face Freya in shock. "She's never mentioned that."

"She might not even realize it yet," Freya said. "Hope could use magic before she could even understand what magic was. She wasn't even talking yet. This could be that. Her basic witch instincts working alongside her basic wolf instincts. Or…"

"Or her powers are growing," Alaric finished. "I don't even know why I'm surprised by this. I've seen the power she has. I've seen the power you have. I can only imagine how powerful she can still become."

"There is still so much we don't know about her, yet. Still so many unanswered questions when it comes to what she is and what she will become."

"She's going to be eighteen soon. There's still so much she has to learn," Alaric said. "What if she goes out into the world and forgets everything we've taught her. What if…"

"Ric… Don't go there," Freya warned.

Alaric turned to face her. "Freya, you know better than anyone the destruction a single a Mikaelson can cause. What if she gets herself killed and triggers the full powers of a vampire? What if she still has all the powers you do, with all destructive behaviors of Klaus. Hell… she could wake up one day, and bam, she a full fledge tribrid and then goes on a ripper binge. We don't know what will happen."

Freya turned to face him. "Stop," she growled, and then forcefully pushed he away from Hope's cell. She didn't want Hope to wake up and hear them discussing her like this. Keelin followed along but remained silent. "We've talked about this, Ric. When Hope returned to the school after Klaus's death. We talked about the possibility of all that happening. That is why we agreed you would start training her. You have told me countless times how much control she has. How calm and even tempered she is compared to the rest of her classmates. I know you are afraid, but I also know that fear isn't of her, rather for her. You love her, just like we do. We are afraid of the worst possible scenario, because of that love, but we cannot let it cloud our judgment."

She paused to catch her breath. Then with a calmer tone said, "Klaus spent his entire life expecting the worst from those he cared about the most and it drove him mad. It was that never-ending irrational fear that made Klaus the dangerous man he was. Rebekah's told me about how sweet Niklaus was as a child. How caring and loving he was. Hope's first toy was a woodcarving that Niklaus whittled for Rebekah when they were just children, so she wouldn't be afraid of thunderstorms. It was Hope favorite toy, and when it got taken away from her, used as a weapon to destroy my family, Klaus sat and whittled her an exact copy. Hope has all Niklaus's best qualities. She is sweet and kind and caring, and she is fiercely protective of those she loves, and we must trust that she will keep those qualities as she continues to develop. She can never fear us turning on her. She can never think we are plotting behind her back. Or we will turn her into the very worst of Klaus."

Alaric knew Freya was right. He turned away from her and took a few breaths, before turning back. "You're right. I'm sorry. What do we do now?"

"Right now, we are going to let her sleep off the effects of the sleeping dust, and then we will figure out, as a team, what is happening to her. You should get some more sleep. Both of you. I'll watch over her."

"I'd rather do something productive," Alaric said, and then left without explaining what he was talking about.

Keelin grasped Freya's hand tightly. "I'll go gather some supplies and come back."

Freya nodded and gave her a kiss on the lips. "Hurry back." She watched Keelin leave the cellar before making her way back to Hope's cell.

Hope was no longer lying on the bed, nor was she in wolf form. Instead, she was standing in front of the bars, looking at Freya will an unreadable expression on her face. "You heard…"

"Most of it," Hope stated evenly.

"Hope…"

"Don't Aunt Freya," Hope said, raising her hand to silence her. "I already know you fear what I might become. I fear it too. I know you love me, and I know that you will do everything you can to keep me from doing the horrible things my father did."

Freya stepped forward and grasped the bars. "Not just your father, Hope. We've all done horrible things. Every single last Mikaelson has left a trail of bodies behind us. I don't want that for you. We don't want that for you, and we will do everything in our power to help you stay on the good side of history."

"I know you will Auntie Freya," Hope said. She reached through the bars and grasped her aunt's wrists, giving them a good squeeze before taking a step back. "So, I remember what happened this time. Well, better than I do the last time anyways. I guess my fib about sleepwalking the first time, wasn't far off from the truth. I was dreaming about something, and then I was changing in the dream, only I was changing for real, and then I had the strongest urge to go. To get out of the school and run. So, I did."

"Do you remember what you were dreaming about before you changed?"

"No… It was mostly feelings. Worry… Sadness… The intense need to comfort someone… Then I was changing."

"Did you know you can do magic in wolf form?"

"No. I've never tried it before. Never had a reason to," Hope answered. "Aunt Keelin's coming."

Freya looked to her right, and sure enough the woman was rounding the corner, her arms loaded with pillows and blankets and over her shoulders was Hope's back pack. "Hey kiddo," She said as she came closer.

Freya removed the spell locking Hope in and held the door open for her wife. "I grabbed a few things for you. Clothing for starters," she said as she dropped the blanket and pillows onto the cot in the cell, then swung the bag off her shoulder. She pulled out a set of clothing and handed them to Hope, who graciously took them.

"I'm starting to feel like I'm part of a nudist cult," Hope said as she changed.

Keelin snorted. "Yeah a nudist cult of two. Here, I grabbed your tablet and some school work. I don't know how long you're going to have to stay in here, but if you need anything, we'll get it for you."

"Thanks Aunt Keelin," Hope said.

Keeling picked up all the blankets and pillows except for one each. Those were for Hope. Yeah, the cell had its own set, but she felt having a few things of her own would make Hope feel better.

Freya locked the cell behind Keelin and place the spell back on. "You should get some sleep. Both of you."

"I can't sleep," Hope said, as she rummaged through her bag. She found her tablet and looked at the time. It was just past one in the morning. Which meant it was six in London. It was too early to call Josie, so she decided to read. She pulled one of the three journals Keelin had brought her, Jackson's, which Freya had returned to her as promised. She fixed the bed and laid down. Casting a light spell over her so she could read the pages with ease.

Outside the cell, Keelin was dragging a spare cot for her and Freya to use. The cell Freya put Hope in, had been the one they kept the Necromancer in. It was the most private of the cells and the most secure, since it had a second door that could be locked.

Keelin laid down against the wall, giving Freya enough room to lay down with her. She drifted off to sleep rather quickly, while Freya laid there watching Hope as she read. After a while, she too nodded off.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

It didn't take long for word to spread that Hope Mikaelson was being held in the basement cellars. She didn't know how everyone knew, but the news brought MG, Rafael, and Penelope down. Each had their arms loaded with items from books, to games, to snacks and trays of food.

Hope told them what happened and explained why she was stuck in the cell for the foreseeable future and was grateful for the company. They talked and fooled around while reading through the books they had brought.

A little after lunch, Alaric arrived to shoo them all away. Landon was back, so Rafael left without complaint. MG and Penelope on the other hand began to argue. Alaric told them to go have lunch, and then to meet Dorian in the library. He was already searching for the best books to go through. They concede, but only after Hope told them to go.

Alaric waited until he was sure they were gone before turning to Hope. "They found another key. Well Landon did. He stole it from his mother's home. Not that he remembers doing it. He's a little down because she doesn't want anything to do with him, but he's doing okay otherwise. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it later."

He stepped forward and grabbed the bars. "Freya said you heard us talking. I just wanted to apologize."

"Don't," Hope interrupted. "I get it Dr. Saltzman. You've made it clear you don't want me turning into my dad, and I don't either. At least not the man you knew, but he did have good in him."

"I know Hope," Alaric admitted. "Klaus did what any good father would do to protect his child, but without you, he would still be the monster we all knew. He was only good, because of you."

"I don't believe that," Hope declared. "You saw a small side of him. The monster, a term that he rightfully earned, but there was more to him. He was no more a monster than Stefan and Damon Salvatore at times and you fought side-by-side with them. You called them your friends. Your family. The same goodness you saw in them, people saw in my father. A goodness that had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with him."

She turned around and pulled out a small wooden figure. It usually sat on her desk, but Keelin had brought it along. She handed it to him. "This is the figure Aunt Freya was talking about. What she didn't tell you was how his father Mikael beat him for whittling the original. I have something that my dad didn't have. I have you. I know why you train me. I'm not stupid. I also know that you care. Dad, he had his father belittle and beat him his whole life. Every day he had to live with a man who hated him for no reason. He had to live with a mother who allowed the abuse to happen. Who kept him from the father he deserved to have. Who kept a side of himself out of reach for a thousand years. You don't treat me harshly for being a tribrid. You don't force me into these cells when I need to let my wolf run. You don't stop me from doing spells outside of class, even though it's against the rules. You watch over me. You let me run free, and when my darkest impulses begin to consume me, you pull me back. I hate how fatherly you are sometimes, because it reminds me that the father I love is gone, but I am happy that you are in my life. If my dad had someone like you looking out for him, maybe he would have been a better man. Maybe he would have done more good than bad."

Alaric ran his thumb over the wooden figure, thinking over what she had said. He handed the knight back her. "Does this mean you're going to stop yelling at me every time I get a little fatherly on you."

Hope took the knight back and laughed, "No. What fun would that be?"

Alaric smiled at her joke, then said, "I am sorry Hope."

"I know you are, but it's not necessary."

"I'll have the cook bring you some lunch," Alaric said. "I'm sorry you're stuck in here for now, but until we're sure you're not going to go run off into the night, you have to stay. Just don't let your guard down, we don't know what creature will be coming next."

"I won't," Hope promised.

He left, leaving her by herself for the first time all day. She was tired, but too afraid to sleep. For the first time since triggering her wolf gene, she was afraid of that side of herself. Something she never thought would happen.

Freya brought her lunch to her, since she had to drop the barrier spell in order to open the door. She stayed with her for a little while, then headed back to Alaric's office where she, along with all the other adult in her life where working on a plan to end their Malivore problem once and for all.

Once she was finished eating, she decided to call Josie to see how she was doing. She seemed so sad the night before, and she want to make sure she was alright.

Josie answered almost immediately. Her smiling face popping up on her screen after only two rings. "Hi," she said happily.

"You seem better," Hope noted.

"Yeah. I feel better. I took your advice and told my mom. She held through the night and we talked this morning. We've been out doing a girl's day. She took us to get our hair done, and our nails. It's been really nice."

"I'm glad."

"How are you?"

"I've been better," Hope said. "I'm in wolf jail for the foreseeable future."

"What? Why? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It turns out that little wolf problem I mentioned is kind of a big wolf problem. I've been shifting in my sleep and traveling in the same direction for some reason."

"How'd you get out of your room?"

"Magic. I can use magic in wolf form apparently," Hope said casually.

"Wow. That's really cool, all thing aside. That could really come in handy if we ever have to go to battle or something. Do you know why it's happening? Is there a new monster?"

"Not yet. Landon found another key. So, it's only a matter of time, but we're almost positive this is unrelated to Malivore. The first time it happened was the night you left for Europe. The Necromancer was still locked up in the same cell I'm in right now."

"Is it creepy being down there?" Josie asked.

"Not really. I'm just getting a little restless because I'm stuck in here. The full moon is nearing, which is making it worse."

"What does it feel like? Being a wolf, I mean."

"It's…" Hope started, then paused as she tried to find words to describe it. "It's weird at first. As you're trying to adjust to having four legs instead of two, and all my senses are heightened. I can hear an owl a mile away, and crickets as though they're sitting in my ear. I can smell everything. The grass, the dirt, leaves, squirrels, rabbits, dogs, and humans. Everything has its own unique scent."

"What do I smell like?"

Hope smiled as she remembered Josie's scent. "Heavenly," she said absentmindedly. "Like honeydew and cilantro, with apple cinnamon and just a hint of beef jerky."

"Beef jerky huh?" Josie asked teasingly.

Hope blushed. "Just a hint."

Josie chuckled. "Do you like being a wolf?"

"Yeah, I do. Most of the time anyways. Today it's kind of a pain, but usually it's amazing. Being able to run through the woods at lightning speed, playing with the animals that live in the forest. There's a downside though. I almost killed Landon the first day he was here. If I hadn't of shifted back mid-air, I probably would have."

"You didn't try to kill me," Josie commented.

Hope froze wondering how to answer her unspoken question. "You… I… When I saw you lying there, I just wanted to protect you. To comfort you."

"Why?" Josie asked.

"I…" Hope began, but she wasn't sure why Josie had been different than Landon. There were things that she was still learning about her wolf side. Like the fact that she could do magic. She had never heard of any werewolf being able to do that. "I don't know."

Josie smiled. "Well I'm glad you did. I never did thank you for staying with me."

"You don't have to thank me."

"Yeah, I do. You didn't have to do that, but you did, and I appreciate it."

"Then. you're welcome. I would gladly do it again."

Josie suddenly looked to the side and Hope heard muffled talking. Josie nodded her head, then looked back. "I have to go. Mom's taking us to dinner. We're meeting one of the kids who might be going here next year. She's not sure she wants to go to school in America. Mom wants us to sell the school to convince her."

"Good luck," Hope offered.

"Thanks. Have a good day," Josie said, then the screen went blank.

Hope set her tablet to the side and stared through the bars. The door to the room was shut, locked tight to prevent her from leaving. She knew they were just being cautious, but if she were telling the truth, it hurt a little. Yes, she knew they were doing it for her own protection, but it was hard to keep the dark thoughts away at times. She was a danger to everyone around her. She was painstakingly aware of this. Sometimes she wished she was just a normal student. The only problem was she could never decide which of the three species she would want to keep and which to get rid of. That was her curse to bear.

She stood from the little desk she sat at and laid down on her cot. She picked up Jackson's journal, and turned to the last page she had read. She was almost half through the book, and still had not found any reference to what might be happening to her.

Penelope and MG returned to the cellar some time later, both their arms filled with books Dorian thought were the most likely to yield the best results, only to find Hope sleeping peacefully on her cot. The book laid open on her chest.

They settled in on the cot Keelin and Freya had been using. Together, they kept watch over her as they read, MG ready at any moment to race upstairs if Hope wolfed out again. She didn't though, and when she did wake, she was happy to see her new friends were waiting for her.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Freya walked into the cellar carrying one of three trays of food. Marcel followed Freya carrying the second. Keelin follow Marcel carrying the third, and Alaric followed Keelin carrying an urn. Freya and Keelin handed their trays to MG and Penelope, then Freya went to open Hope cell door, allowing Marcel to bring in her tray. He sat her tray down on the desk, then pulled Hope into a big hug.

"I missed you kid," he said.

She hugged him tighter. "I missed you too." She let go and asked, "Is Landon okay?"

"Yeah. He's a tough kid," Marcel said. "For the record, I approve."

"Oh… Landon and I aren't… Well we might have been… He's not my boyfriend," Hope fumbled.

Marcel chuckled.

Alaric walked into the cell and handed the urn to Hope. She carefully took the urn and studied it. "It looks Egyptian."

"It is," Freya confirmed. "We've traced its origins back to around 500 BCE."

Hope looked up at Freya in surprise. "That's over a millennium before the knife was created."

"We're starting to think the keys were randomly selected," Alaric said.

"But the Necromancer said the knife's creator had a lot to say about Malivore," Hope said.

"They might have known about Malivore, but we're thinking the knife is just a knife," Freya said.

"Landon's mother told Marcel some information that contradicts what we originally believed. The knife isn't what sends the monsters to Malivore. There is a portal in Georgia that sends them to Malivore."

"A pit of tar is what she called it," Marcel added. "She worked for years tracking monsters and returning them to a place called The Triad. They would then drop the monster into the pit. Once the monster absorbed then it was wiped from everyone's mind."

"Did she come back with you?"

"No," Marcel said, then looked to Alaric. "I think you should hear it from him. It's his story to tell, not mine."

"Okay," Hope said hesitantly.

Freya stepped up to the cell bars. "We know that there is an earthly access point to Malivore. We know where it is. We know that they are still hunting down supernatural beings."

"You want to close the pit?" Hope asked.

Alaric placed his hand on Hope's shoulders. "Malivore creatures have been inside the walls of this school. They've seen who lives here. It's only a matter of time before The Triad realize it as well and send agents after you."

"We still don't know who the puppet master behind all the monsters is. For all we know, shutting down the pit won't top them. They will still be coming after this." She shook the urn as she spoke.

Alaric took the urn that Hope was shaking. "That's why we are also going to come up with a way to destroy this thing."

"Yeah, because that worked so well on the knife," she snarked.

"We'll figure something out," Alaric assured her.

Penelope, who had been quietly eating her food as the other talked, set her tray on the floor and stood up. She walked into the cell, and silently asked to see the urn. She looked it over. "It's magic right? Whatever makes this thing the key, is magic at its core. Why don't you have JoJo and Lizzie siphon the magic from it?"

"We though about that," Freya started.

"But I don't want to risk my daughters becoming the key themselves," Alaric finished.

Penelope gave Hope the perfect idea. One she couldn't believe she hadn't thought about before. She took the urn and smiled widely at it. "She didn't say they had to keep the magic." She looked up at Alaric. "They can siphon the magic out and put it into something that can never be moved."

Alaric opened his mouth to object but closed it just as quickly. He looked at Freya with a why didn't we think of that look, then looked back at Hope. "Like what?"

"Like the school, or a mountain, or another dimension," Hope rattled off, excitedly. For the first time since Landon stole the knife, she was hopefully for an end to the drama. "It doesn't matter what it is, just so long as it can never get to Malivore. Then we can figure out who is pulling the strings and shut the portal down."

"What if there are more than one portal?" MG asked, causing the group to turn to the vampire. "It just seems a little odd that the portal to Malivore be here in the states. I mean, dragons aren't common among Indigenous culture and with the few tribes that have mentioned dragons, it is more bird-like than reptilian. No… Dragons are more common among Asian and European cultures."

"Make your point nerd boy," Penelope snarked.

"I think his point is…" Hope butted in. "After capturing the creature, they would have to bring it to the states to put it in the pit. It isn't just one dragon they captured. They don't exist anymore. Malivore agents wiped entire species from the world. That would be a lot of traveling to the states. The Necromancer was killed in France, which is where the gargoyle protected the knife in the fourteenth century."

"And the arachnid is from Greek mythology, and the word dragon comes from the Greek word draconta."

"The Dryad was local, but she said there were many of them," Alaric said.

"We have to go on the assumption that every mythical creature we have every read about is real," Hope said. "MG's right. It makes sense for there to be more than one pit of despair."

"Or…" Penelope inserted. "And this is going to sound crazy, but is it possible the portal is moveable?"

Everyone turned to face Freya. "I'm not sure. I suppose theoretically it could be possible. God knows you all have been dealing with the impossible. I think we should keep both options open for now. We'll research possible locations, while figuring out the best place to put the key's magic once the twins remove it from the urn."

"We'll work on the portal, while you continue to work on Hope," Alaric told them. "Eat first though, and act like normal kids."

"Yes, normal kids just researching why our friend is wolfing out and traveling miles from school," Penelope said dryly.

MG snickered, which caused Hope to smile.

"Yeah. Like that," Alaric said, as he pointed back a forth between MG and Hope. He and Marcel exited the cell, which allowed Freya to spell the door shut again.

Alaric was the last to leave, but before he did, he turned to the kids and said, "Exams start tomorrow. No one is excluded." He left before he could hear Penelope complain.

"Of course, we still have to take the stupid test," she grumbled. She picked up her sandwich and took a bite, which could only be described as aggravated.

Hope sat down at her desk and began eating her food. The three of them took time off from their research to just talk like normal teens for a little while. Hope found herself enjoying something as simple as talking about upcoming exams. For just a little while she forgot that there was a mystery involving her wolf side. She forgot that there were monsters attacking every other day. She forgot that she was a one of a kind being. She even forgot that she was locked in a cell for a little while.

It was nice to just be a normal person with normal friends and normal problems. She wished it could be like this all the time.


	4. Josie's Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Fun Fact: It is incredibly hard to write while you're crying. I don't know if the ending is just that sad or if it's because I am an emotional person. Either way, you've been warned.

Hope managed to sleep through the night without wolfing out, so Alaric granted her furlough from her ongoing wolf jail sentence, but only for the day. She was to return to her cell before curfew and was warned not to fall asleep.

She headed back to her room to take a quick shower before the start of classes, then made her way to the dining hall to get a bite to eat. MG was still there, talking with Landon, who was decked out in Salvatore School regulated clothing. "So, you get to stay now?" she asked as she sat.

"Yeah. Dr. Saltzman said if was for my own protection," he answered. He smiled at her widely, clearly happy to see her.

She smiled back, though she was merely being nice. Something had changed between them. The feelings she had just before he left were gone. Yes, she still felt the need to protect him, but she also felt the way towards Rafael, MG, and Penelope. It was the feeling of her heart floating when she looked at him or thought about him, that was no longer there.

Her heart suddenly felt very heavy as she realized she was going to have to talk to him about their relationship and what happened next. She never had to let someone down like this before. The only crush she ever had was with Roman, and that had turned out disastrous. She preferred to not think about him as much as possible.

She chatted with them for a little while, mostly about what Landon missed while he was away. The bell rang, causing them to scurry of to class before they were late. She had two tests to take before lunch and another after. She wasn't worried about doing poorly. She had an excellent memory, allowing her to retain almost every piece of information she learned.

Her friends on the other hand looked exhausted by the time lunch rolled around. Each had their heads in their notebooks going over as much information as they could. Standardized test week was always the most stressful week of the year. Most students didn't even bother to stress over end of the year exams, because those only reflected their knowledge, not the entire school's performance. If the school, as a collective, did poorly on the standardized tests, then they risked having the school over run by government people or the school could be shut down. No one wanted that to happen.

After classes ended for the day, Hope headed for Alaric's office to see if he wanted to spar. It was abundantly clear that he was too busy to spar the second she walked in. He was sitting at his desk, with a mound of books in front of him, while her aunts were sitting on his couch, with an even larger mound of books scattered around them, on the coffee table, under it, on the floor next to them, there was even a few books resting dangerously on the top of the couch.

"How did your exams go," Alaric asked the second he say her.

She looked away from her aunts to him and rolled her eyes. It was as if he forgot she was top of her class. "I aced them."

"Good. Good," he said.

"How is it going?" Hope asked, as she looked around the room curious.

Freya tossed the book she was reading onto the floor next to her. "About as well as to be expected. Marcel is looking into the possibility of multiple pit locations, while we are looking for any reference to Malivore in these books. So far, we have found one brief reference to a place that could be Malivore, but nothing else."

"Vincent has the New Orleans witches on it too," Keelin added.

"We've also reached out to as many of the packs as we can for anything that will help explain what is happening to you," Freya continued. "Hopefully, someone will have the answers we're searching for."

"Great," Hope said, though her tone wasn't very hopeful.

"How are you doing?" Freya asked, recognizing her niece's tone.

"I'm fine," she answered. Freya gave her a stern look, which made her uncomfortable. She hated how her aunt could read right through her sometimes. "I'm just restless. I need to change, but I can't. Which is making the feeling more intense. I was just coming to see if you wanted to spar Dr. Saltzman. I can see you're busy though, so I'll just go see if MG or Raf will spar with me instead."

"Are you sure?" Alaric asked.

"Yeah," she insisted, then turned and left before they had a chance to change her mind. She quickly went back to her room to change, then headed to the gym. She looked for MG and Rafael on her way, but neither could be found.

She found Rafael in the gym, punching away at the punching bag. She convinced him to fight with her, even though he seemed hesitant. She could tell he was going easy at first. Clearly, he was afraid of hurting her, even voicing the concern a few times. It took her a few minutes to get him to realize it takes a lot to hurt her.

In the end he started to fight with meaning, and despite doing well, she had him pinned to the floor in no time. She felt a little better afterwards, allowing her to sit and chat with him for a while. She hadn't really talked with him since before his dead girlfriend walked through the school's front doors. She asked how he was doing, and he asked what was going on with her. They discussed Landon for a while. She wanted to know how he was doing. Making sure he was settling in okay, and if everyone was being nice to him?

Rafael assured her he was doing fine but warned her that if she didn't want to be with him to just tell him. Apparently, Landon had spent the entire day thinking she was avoiding him. Which wasn't far off from the truth. Every time she'd see him during the day when he was alone, she turned the other way. She knew she had to have a conversation with him, just wasn't ready yet. She still had a few things to figure out. Like what she was feeling.

Hope left Rafael to go shower, then went to find MG and Penelope. She found in the library, reading through the collection of wolf books Dorian had gathered for them. They each found a few passages here and there that could be linked, but most of it had noting to do with the breed of werewolf she was. They came from legends about human looking beasts, or wolves that could change a will, or werewolves that were created by a bite, not born. They dismissed everything they found as myth, instead of factual.

When it came time to pack it in for the night, Hope returned to her cell alone. She laid on her cot, unable to sleep. Her racing mind wouldn't shut up long enough for her to drift off to dream land. Around two, she finally gave up, and grabbed her tablet. She knew it was early in London but hoped that maybe her friend was already awake. She sent her a message and waited impatiently for a response. After a minute, her tablet bagan ringing.

A few second after hitting the answer button, Josie's sleepy face came onto her screen. "Did I wake you?" she asked worried.

"No," Josie replied quietly. "I was already awake."

"You look sleepy," remarked Hope.

"I didn't get much sleep," Josie explained. "It's late there. Why are you still awake?"

"Can't sleep."

"Are you still in wolf jail?"

"Yeah," Hope groaned. "Only for nights though. They're letting me out to go to classes now."

"That's good," Josie chirped.

Hope smiled at her enthusiasm. At least one of them was happy about it. "How are you doing?"

Josie sighed, "I'm okay. We convinced that girl to come. Lizzie's happy about it. She likes her. They talked all through dinner and have even been messaging each other since. I think Lizzie may have found a true friend. She doesn't really have anyone besides me to hang out with. It's hard for her sometimes because she says things without thinking first."

"I guess I never really noticed," Hope remarked. "She's always around people."

"People have gotten used to how she is," Josie commented. "My friends are nice to her, and include her in everything, but she doesn't have someone who's she's really close with, besides me of course. Unless you count MG, but Lizzie's completely oblivious to the fact he likes her."

Hope bit her lip as she contemplated how to ask Josie something. "I'm not trying to be mean, but why do you let her treat you like she does?"

"She…" Josie began. "I... It's just…" She sighed. "Not many people know this, and she will probably kill me for telling you, but Lizzie has bipolar disorder. When she's manic, it's hard for her to see thing clearly. She has a very one-track mind. She truly is an amazing person, it is just hard for people to see past her outer shell."

Hope wasn't sure how to respond. She never thought there was a reason Lizzie acted the way she acted. She just thought she was being a bitch.

"It's okay," Josie said. "I know what people think about Lizzie, and a lot of it is true. It's just some of it she can't control. Well, she is trying, it's just she doesn't always see what she is doing, and I don't like to upset her, because then she gets really depressed."

"So, you stay quiet," Hope said. "Like when you both liked Rafael, but you didn't tell her."

"I didn't want to upset her. It's easier sometime to just let her have what she wants. We do talk, about a lot of things, and I do point out things that she does when I know she's able to handle it. I'm there to help her when she falls."

"You really are an amazing sister," Hope mused.

"So is Lizzie," Josie said. "She makes me wear the talisman you gave me every day. She says, she likes it when I'm not so quiet."

Hope chuckled, "I like it too."

Josie smiled. "I'm coming home tomorrow."

That made Hope very happy. "Are you happy?"

"Yeah. It's been great seeing mom, but I miss home," Josie said.

"Well I miss you," Hope admitted shyly. "I can't wait to see you."

Josie smiled softly at her. "It's strange to think you were still poking just a few weeks ago.

"Hey, you were poking too," Hope argued.

"Only when you poked first," Josie countered.

"Oh yeah? Like the morning we brought Raf to the school. I was nice until your sister poked first," Hope countered.

Josie giggled, "Okay. You're right. We did poke a far bit as well."

Hope smiled. "How about we make a deal, no more poking."

"Deal," Josie agreed immediately. "I'm glad we're friends."

"So am I," Hope replied. "It's strange, actually. I've spent so much time alone. I've never really looked forward to seeing or talking to people outside my family. Now you're the first person I think about when I want to talk, and I look forward to seeing MG, Penelope, and Rafael every day. It's a big change. I still like being alone, I just don't fear being around everyone so much."

"You feared being around people?"

"It is exhausting being around people some days. I'm always worried that I'm going to accidentally hurt someone. Whether because I slip in gym and hurt someone weaker than me, or if I lose control because I get too angry."

"I don't think you would do that," Josie said.

"I might," Hope insisted. "My father is Niklaus Mikaelson, The Great Evil. I have the same darkness he had. I have the potential to be just as horrible."

"So do I," Josie interrupted. "My dad is always warning us about how black magic gets inside your heart…"

"And poisons your mind," Hope finished, and Josie looked through the screen questioningly. "I may not have been entirely honest with you the day he volunteered us for clean up duty."

"What do you mean?"

"I did do black magic. That is why I was being punished, but it wasn't the spell that we did together that made him so angry. I may have brought a death spell when we went to find Landon."

"You may have?" Josie asked with a smile.

"Alright… I did bring a death spell. I used it on the dragon we were fighting. When he found out, he was pissed."

"That's when he told you his black magic mantra?"

"Yeah. He lectured me, then made me bury the body. I think that was the first time I made him mad. I don't blame him though. He was right. I was angry at Landon and wanted him dead."

"And the day before that, I set Penelope on fire because I was so angry with her," Josie said. "We both have the ability to let the darkness consume us. I think it's the people around us that keep us grounded, or at the very least, pull us back when we're going to far. If Dad hadn't found the spell, do you think you would have used it on Landon?"

"I don't know," Hope answered honestly.

"I don't think you would have," Josie remarked with a soft smile. "I believe you have a good heart, Hope. I think you took the spell with you on impulse, but when the time came to use it, you would have seen reason."

"Why do you think that?" Hope hesitantly asked.

Josie smiled again. "Because every time I've need to talk this week, you've been there for me. You haven't downed me for putting Lizzie first. You have listened to what I've had to say, and you haven't pushed me to do anything I haven't wanted, even though I could tell you were ready to call my mom yourself."

"I am not that obvious," Hope argued playfully.

"Not all the time," Josie agreed. "You are a very private and often time mysterious person, but there are times when your thoughts are open for anyone who stops to notice them."

Josie looked away from the screen suddenly, and Hope could hear Caroline speaking in the distance. "I'm talking to Hope," Josie said.

"Oh…" she could hear Caroline say. "Let me say hi."

The screen become blurry for a moment, then Caroline was smiling through the screen at her. "Hello Hope," she said.

"Hello Mrs. Forbes-Salvatore," Hope said with an honest smile. She always liked it when Caroline was around. She was so nice and loving towards everyone.

"It's late there. Why are you still awake?" Caroline asked with concern oozing from her voice.

"I can't sleep," Hope answered.

"Is everything alright?"

"It's just been a long week," Hope said.

Caroline gave her a smile that could only be described as a 'mom smile'. It reminded her of her own mother. Haley had often given her a 'mom smile' when she was sad. It was like they were sending as much love as they could through a smile. "Well, I'll give you back to Josie. I hope you feel better."

"Thanks Mrs. Forbes-Salvatore."

"You're welcome," Caroline said, then the screen went blurry again.

Hope could hear Caroline talking softly to Josie, then Josie was back. "Are you sleepy?"

"A little," Hope replied.

"Would you like me to read to you? Lizzie love when I do that when she can't sleep," Josie offered with such enthusiasm that Hope couldn't have said no, even if she wanted too. Josie smiled widely when Hope said, "Yes," then the screen went blurry again as Josie began moving. After a few minutes, Josie was back, but she was sitting up in a well-lit area. The London morning sun shining brightly over her. Hope couldn't help but notice how beautiful Josie was in that moment.

Josie smiled at the screen, and then looked down at the book in her lap. "I hope you don't mind Harry Potter. It's Lizzie's favorite."

"Harry Potter is perfect," Hope said.

Josie smiled at the book and began reading the first chapter. Hope listened to the words roll off Josie's tongue like a song. Smoothly and beautifully. By the end of the second chapter, Josie's soulful voice had lured her to sleep.

When Josie noticed this, she stopped reading, and watched Hope sleep for a few minutes, before ending their call. She then sent her a simple message. **"Goodnight."**

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

The next day went by fast for Hope. She got up, went through her morning routine. Had breakfast with her aunts as they caught her up to speed on everything they had learned so far. After breakfast she took two more tests to take, which she was positive she aced.

After lunch she had a free period, which she spent messaging Josie, who was excited to be coming home. Hope was right there with her. All they had to do was wait a little over twenty-four hours, then they could talk in person.

She headed to the gym after classes ended to work off some of her anxiety. The full moon was a few days away and the need to turn was a real as ever. She knew she couldn't do that though. She would be risking too much if she did.

Once she had spent as much energy as she could, she headed to the library where her friends were already waiting. There was a small stack of books between them, the last of the books Dorian was sure would yield result. He joked that after this they were going to have to take to the internet.

Hope was sure that would only bring up fiction, seeing as werewolf folklore was everywhere in pop culture. Still, they read through each of the books, with no results. After giving up, they headed to Hope's dorm to watch a movie.

The next morning, Hope was summoned to Alaric's office. The urn had glowed during the night, signaling the arrival of the next monster. He had a bundle of crossbows lying on his desk, along with a sharpening file, so she grabbed them and started sharpening away at them while they talked.

Alaric had just finished saying something when both doors flew open to reveal the twins standing there, their luggage still with them. "Girl's. What are you doing here? You're not suppose to get home until tonight."

Caroline stepped up in between them. "I got us direct into Dulles."

"Caroline," he said in shock. "What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming home."

"Oh no? Maybe if you had checked your text messages, or your email, or your fax, you would have known," Caroline snarked. She rolled her luggage into the room.

"I'm sorry. Things have been hectic around here," Alaric apologized.

"Yeah," Hope agreed, then tried to back him up. "We've been in crisis mode around here."

"Oh, I am aware, Hope," Caroline said, then smiled widely at her. "After our little chat, I called Dr. Saltzman to make sure you were okay, and he told me all about what was going on. I've come to help."

"Oh…" Hope said awkwardly, then looked to Alaric, who returned her look with a sheepish one of his own. She turned back to Caroline and said, "That's great."

Josie left her luggage by the door and walked towards Hope. Before Hope knew what happened, Josie had her arms wrapped around Hope tightly. Hope quickly relaxed into the hug and wrapped her own arms around her.

"I'm glad you're home," Hope said quietly.

"So am I," Josie replied.

Alaric cleared his throat, "Um… why don't you girls go get unpacked, and settled in. Give your mom and I a chance to talk."

"Sure Daddy," Lizzie said, and turned without waiting for her sister.

"You too Hope," he said. "Stay vigilant though."

Hope nodded then practically pulled Josie out of the office. The last thing she wanted to deal with was parental drama, especially when that parental drama included her. She grabbed Josie's suitcase on their way out, not bothering to close the doors behind them, and didn't stop until they were safely on the second floor.

Josie chuckled when Hope let out a sigh of relief. "Not used to having parental figures discussing you?"

"I know my aunts and uncle talk to your dad all the time for updates and such, but I never know when they do. It's nicer that way," Hope replied. "So how was your trip?"

"Amazing," Josie answered happily. "The nights are still tough, but I was able to enjoy my days. Mom took us all over London and we even traveled into France."

"Sounds fun," Hope commented. They stopped in front of Josie's door.

"It was. It kept my mind occupied, and I got to see a lot of great things." Josie opened the door and gestured for Hope to enter. "How are things around here?"

Hope wheeled Josie's luggage to her bed, then sat down next to her. "We'll there was a sleep demon that my aunts took care of yesterday, and the urn glowed again, so there is something lurking around here."

The door opened and Lizzie entered with a scowl on her face. "Lovely," she snarked. "Now I have to deal with you on top of evading monsters."

"Be nice Lizzie," Josie warned.

"What? I am being nice. I didn't insult her, did I?"

"Remember what mom said?" Josie said, but didn't elaborate on what Caroline had told them.

Lizzie scoffed again, "How could I forget? She only said it a dozen times on the way home."

"It's nice to see you too, Lizzie," Hope said kindly, before either had a chance to say something again. "How was your trip."

Lizzie was startled by Hope's kind demeanor. "Well, if you really want to know, Europe was amazing. What wasn't amazing was my dad not showing to pick us up, because he's been so busy with your problems. Again."

"Lizzie," Josie said warningly. "It's not Hope's fault for any of this."

"Yes well," Lizzie started, but didn't have a clever comeback. "Don't expect me to be nice to you just because you're all buddy-buddy with my sister now."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Hope replied.

Lizzie growled, then left to go shower.

"I'm sorry about her," Josie apologized. "She's a little testy today because of the long trip, and Dad not showing up for us again."

"It's okay Josie. You don't have to apologize for her."

Josie smiled softly, "It's kind of my job."

Hope smiled back. "You really are a good sister. You know that, right?"

"Thanks Hope," Josie said.

They stayed there for a while, talking about what was going on with each of them. Lizzie returned to the room after her shower in a better mood. She even gave Josie a big hug when she entered the room, quietly apologizing to her. Then the three of them went down to the dining hall together to met up with their friends.

There was still one test Hope had to take, so after lunch she headed to class. After classes ended, she headed to the gym again to work of some of the pent-up energy she was feeling. The full moon was just days away, and she was feeling the call to change more intensely than ever. Her work out did little to ease the struggle within, so she contemplated heading to the cell to change.

On her way to her room, she bumped into Penelope, who looked upset. So instead of heading to the basement, she pulled Penelope to her room so they could talk privately. Penelope confided in her, that she had finally talk to Josie about the kiss they shared the night Josie almost died. A part of Hope was relieved when Penelope told her Josie never wanted to get back together and that the kiss had been a mistake, but there was a part of her that hurt for her friend. She had gotten to see a different side of Penelope since they started hanging out. A softer, caring side, who clearly loved Josie. Hope's heart ached for Penelope. She wanted her to be happy. To find someone who loves her as much as she loves them, but she also felt guilty for being happy that person wasn't Josie. Although, she had no clue why she was so happy about it. It wasn't like she had feelings for Josie, after all.

She stayed with Penelope as she cried, until it was time for her to return to her cell. She walked her friend to her room. Even taking the time to tuck the girl into her bed. To think a few weeks ago, she could barely stand Penelope. How things change so quickly.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Freya was sitting next to her sleeping wife, reading through one of the grimoires Hope had in her room. She knew it was a long shot, but they had exhausted all other research avenues available to them in the school. She had to move onto something, leaving the grimoires the only option at that moment.

Hope was sleeping soundly in her bed, her tablet still in hand from her chat with Josie. Freya had to smile when, for the second night that week, Josie had read her niece to sleep. She wondered if there might be something going on between them but chose not to question it. If there was, she wanted Hope to come to her when she was ready, not the other way around.

She went back to read through the book in her lap, not bothering to look up again until she heard something clatter to the floor. When she looked up, the tablet Hope had been holding was on the floor, and he hand that had been gripping the tablet was no longer a hand, but rather a claw.

The sound of breaking bones began echoing off the walls, making the transformation sound worse than it actually was. Within seconds, Hope was fully transformed, and on her feet… Well paws. She sat in front of the door and let out a pitiful whine.

"Sorry kiddo," lamented Freya. "I can't let you out."

Hope let out a long howl, then hit her paw off the bars, waking Keelin with the process. Both Freya and Keelin watched as Hope continued to repeat the process over and over again, until she finally gave up and began pacing the cell.

After an hour of watching her pace back and forth, Hope suddenly threw herself at the door, which glowed yellow and bounced her back on her bed. She tried it again, and again at different stops along the barred wall. Each time with the same results.

Freya kept trying to calm Hope from her side of the room, with little avail. She even tried to dose her with the sleeping dust, but after several failed attempts to do so through the bars, it became clear the only way to dose her was to open the door, which would give Hope the opportunity to escape. She couldn't let that happen.

After what felt like an eternity, Hope stopped her attempts to escape. She sat down and stared at the wall opposite her bed. Freya watch her as she just stared at it, then, in one quick bound she through herself at the wall, hitting it with a sickening thud. Unlike the barred wall, she wasn't thrown backwards onto her bed. Instead, she fell to the floor, and remain motionless for a few moments.

Hope was back up on her feet, and before Freya had a chance to figure out what Hope was thinking, a small fire ball formed in front of her, which quickly grew in size until it was as big as an exercise ball.

Freya's eyes widened as she realized, not only how powerful her niece was, but what she was about to do. "Hope Andrea Mikaelson, don't you dare do it."

Hope looked at Freya, and she swore she saw a glint in the wolf's eyes, before she turned back away. The giant fire ball was suddenly thrusted through the air hitting the wall Hope had been watching, leaving behind a giant hole in its wake. Several giant holes in fact. It tore its way through the hallway wall and three other cells, before dissipating.

Hope was gone before Freya could fully comprehend what her niece had just done. She turned to Keelin, who was sitting on the bed with her mouth hanging open.

"Holy shit," Keelin said.

"Yeah," Freya agreed. She turned toward the door and ran after her niece, yelling for Keelin to get Alaric. She ran straight for the front door, but the heavy door was still shut and locked. She headed for every other door leading to the outside. All of them were still closed and locked.

Alaric was already standing at the base of the stairs, a robe on but not pants. He looked more than worried. Keelin wasn't with him though. "Where's Keelin?"

"I sent her to wake Caroline," he replied.

"Good thinking," Freya said. "She's still in the school. We just have to find her before she does something she regrets."

Caroline came flying down the steps with Keelin in her arms. "Whoa," Keelin said as Caroline let go of her. "Vamp speed is weird while human. I prefer wolf speed as a wolf. Much funnier. More legs to keep you from falling."

Caroline chuckled, then looked to Freya. "So… Hope's gone on an adventure?"

"Yes, but this time she's stayed in the school," Freya explained.

"Well then let's get going," Caroline said, then went back up the stairs.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Penelope was having the strangest dream. She was dreaming that a dog was sitting next to her, licking her face. She tried to bat it away, but the licking continued.

Somewhere between dream world and reality, she heard her roommate quietly calling her. She woke with a start and froze mid gasp. There was a wolf standing over her, licking away tears. She must have been crying in her sleep.

"Hope?" She asked hopeful. She knew Hope was the only wolf at the school who had the power to change at will and seeing as they had spent the week researching why Hope was wolfing out in her sleep, it was an obvious deduction. The only thing she couldn't figure out was why Hope was standing over her, licking away her tears. "Hope? What are you doing?"

Hope stopped licking Penelope's face, and let out a long whined.

Penelope could see her roommate staring at the wolf in terror, which under any other circumstance she would have found hilarious, but seeing as wolves were known to be unpredictable, uncontrollable beasts, she was sympathetic.

Hope sat down on Penelope and let out a loud howl, then went back to licking her face.

"Hope," Penelope said again. "You can stop now."

Hope listened and jumped off the bed. She turned to face the roommate, giving her a terrifying growl, before turning towards the door. She turned back to face Penelope, who could have sworn Hope was asking her to follow.

She got up and followed behind the wolf. Hope lead her down the hall, stopping in front of Josie and Lizzie's room. She wasn't surprised when the headmasters and Hope's aunts rounded the corner. Only to stop, when they saw her and Hope.

The door magically opened, and Hope trotted into the room, and sat next to Josie's bed. Penelope didn't enter the room, but she did peek into it, as did all the adults.

"What is she doing?" Caroline asked alarmed.

"I don't know," Freya said.

"She won't hurt her," Alaric assured them.

Hope nudged Josie's arm and let out a long whine. Josie was twitching in her sleep and mumbling.

"She's having a nightmare," Caroline commented and tried to go into the room. Penelope stopped her though, and quietly told her to just watch.

Hope nudged her arm again, while whining. When Josie didn't respond she leaped onto the bed and laid down next to her. She let out another long whine, then gently licked her cheek.

Josie woke at that. She groggily looked at Hope, then smiled widely at her. She reached up and rubbed her ears. "How'd you know?" she asked quietly, though loudly enough so everyone at the door could still hear.

Hope whimpered lightly then laid her head on Josie's chest. She let out a huff of air and whimpered again.

"I'm better now that you're here," Josie said.

"What the fu…?" Caroline started, then remembered there was children around.

"No… Mrs. Forbes-Salvatore," Penelope glumly said. "Fuck just about covers it."

"Penelope," Alaric scolded lightly, but noticed how sad she looked. "Do you know something that we don't?"

"Yeah… I do," she sighed.

All four adults turned to look at Penelope expectantly. She didn't get a chance to answer their silent question, because Josie noticed they were standing there.

"What's gong on?" She asked just above a whisper.

Alaric went to take a step into the room, but Hope began growling at him, which woke Lizzie up.

She sat up disoriented, her blonde locks standing up in odd angles. She saw her dad standing in the doorway looking scared, with Penelope and the other adults peeking in behind him. "What's going on?" She asked, then looked to Josie. She practically threw herself of her bed when she saw Hope laying on her sister. "Not again." She peeked over the bed, and yelled, "Hope. Go away."

Hope growled at her, then draped her right front leg over Josie's stomach, practically hugging her. Josie smiled, and took her left hand and cupped the paw. "She's okay," she cooed. "Aren't ya, Hope?"

Hope lifted her head and howled, which made Josie smile.

"She's okay here. She won't hurt me, or Lizzie. Will ya, Hope?"

Again, Hope lifted her head up and let out an even louder howl.

"See," Josie said.

Lizzie stood up and got back into bed, only to roll off again with a shriek, when Hope suddenly stood up.

Hope trotted back to the door, pushing her way past Alaric to get to Penelope. She gently took her hand in her mouth and pulled her into the room. When Penelope was half way in, she let go and sat in front of her. She let out a sad whine, then briefly turned back to Josie before turning back. She whined again and laid down on the floor.

Penelope kneeled in front of her. Tears welled in her eyes. She knew what Hope was saying. She was apologizing for her feelings for Josie and making sure she was okay with it. She rubbed Hope's ears, and quietly said, "It's okay, Hope. I understand." Tears rolled down her cheeks. Hope stood and licked them away with a whine. Quieter she spoke, so only Hope (and anyone with supernatural hearing) could hear her, "It's okay. I won't stand in your way. I just want her to be happy. Can you promise me you'll do that?"

Hope barked softly, then whimpered.

"I'll be okay," she cried, tears rolled down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, allowing Hope to clean her face. "I promise. I'll be okay, and so will we. I like having you as a friend, and I don't want that to change."

Hope put her head on Penelope's shoulder, essentially hugging her. Penelope wrapped her arms around the wolf, squeezing her tight. "Take care of her."

She kneeled there and watched as Hope went back to Josie, laying her head on her chest and wrapping her from leg around her. She let out a long howl.

"Penelope?" Josie said. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Penelope gave Josie a teary smile. "I'll be okay, JoJo. I'll explain everything in the morning. I promise."

Josie opened her mouth to say something, but Penelope stopped her before she could get the words out. "You should go back to sleep. I don't think you'll have another nightmare now that your protector is with you. I promise I'll explain in the morning."

She stood up and turned to the adults. She grabbed the door and closed it behind her. "She's fine now. Leave her go for tonight. I'll explain everything in the morning."

She left before any of the adult could question her. Back to her bed she went, where she cried herself back to sleep. The book, that held all the answers they had been searching for clutched in her hands, along with a picture of Josie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I very much am enjoying writing Henelope friendship, and I was crying as I wrote this last scene. I think I like them as much as I like writing Hosie. Sorry for those who aren't Penelope fans. I think she has a lot of potential outside of her relationship with Josie, and I am looking forward to seeing her more in the show.


	5. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys.
> 
> I want to say thank you. Y'all are so amazing. I got so many reviews. I appreciate every single one of them. They really helped to ease my writers block. So thank you!!!!

Chapter 5: The Truth

The first thing that registered in Hope's mind the next morning was how happy she felt. It was weird at first. It felt as though her heart was expanding trough her whole chest, making every cell in her body explode with happiness.

The second thing that registered was how warm her belly was, but how cold her backside was. She must have kicked the blankets off. She snuggled into the warmth, not registering the person beneath her at first.

It wasn't until she heard Lizzie's shrill voice yelling that it registered what had happened the night before. Her eyes flew open in shock. Yep, she was in Josie and Lizzie's room alright, which meant if she looked up, she was going to find Josie, and that meant she was most definitely laying in Josie's bed, on top of her butt ass naked.

She closed her eyes again, then peeked up to find herself looking into Josie's amused eyes. "Fuck," she said, then rolled off the bed, taking the blankets with her.

Josie rolled over and peered down at her. "Ya know. You were fine where you were."

"Speak for yourself," Lizzie said. "Some of us don't want to see Hope naked at seven o'clock in the morning."

"You could have just put a blanket over her," Josie said.

"And have one of my blankets smell like wolf for the rest of my life. No thank you," Lizzie grunted.

Hope stood up, wrapping the blanket firmly around her as she did. "I wasn't dreaming," she mumbled.

"You mean the fact that you barged into our room in the middle of the night to terrorize us, then no. You weren't dreaming," Lizzie huffed.

"Lizzie. She was hardly terrorizing us," Josie chided.

"Seeing her naked butt at seven is absolutely terrifying. I'm going to have to clean eyes out with bleach to get the visual out of my mind."

"Must you be so dramatic?" Josie asked. "She has a very cute behind."

Hope blushed. She could feel her skin literally burning. She wanted to say thank you, but the words got all jumbled in her mouth, which made her blush even more. She looked back and forth between the twins, then ran for the door.

She could hear Lizzie yelling for her to bring the blankets back clean but didn't care. She also didn't care that there were already students mingling in the halls on their way to the dining hall for breakfast, looking at her strangely. She ran as fast as her supernatural feet could take her.

She practically fell through her door, slamming it shut loudly behind her. Both her aunts woke with a start, groggily looking at her in surprise. She growled, and dropped the blankets, then threw herself into her bed, leaving no inch of skin revealed.

"Why did you leave me there?" she yelled.

She felt one of her aunts sit on the bed. Freya answered, "Because that's where you wanted to be. If we had taken you away, you would have just found a way to get back to her."

Hope pulled the blanket down over her face, revealing the tears she was crying. "Why?"

"We don't know," Freya said. "We think we have an idea, but we're not one hundred percent yet. Your friend Penelope is though."

"Why does this have to happen? Why can't I just be a normal witch-wolf, instead of a tribrid freak?"

Freya smiled at her weakly. "Everything happens for a reason sweetie. I know it's hard to hear, but there is a reason why you were born. A reason why you, and not someone else, is the tribrid. We may never know the reason, but I am glad that you are here."

Hope felt a little better, for a moment, then she remembered why she was so upset. She pulled the blanket back over her head and groaned. "I'm really tired of waking up naked in a strange places."

"I think after last night, you aren't going to have to worry about that," Freya said. "Now get up and get dressed. Alaric and Caroline want us in their office right after breakfast."

"I am not going to breakfast," Hope growled.

"You're going to have to face everybody at some point," Freya told her. When Hope didn't come out, Freya stood up and yanked the covers off her niece. "Up and get dressed, before I decide to use a spell to dress you, then it'll be whatever comes out of your draws and closet first."

That got Hope moving.

She was up and to her dresser before Freya realized she wasn't in the bed anymore. Freya went back to her wife, who had watched the pair with amusement. She gave her peck on the lips, and quietly said, "I love you."

They too got up and began dressing for the day. Freya hadn't been able to convince Hope to get something to eat, so they headed down to Alaric's office. No one had arrived yet, which wasn't surprising. So, Freya dipped out to get some food for Hope to eat.

Hope sat quietly outside Alaric's office door, nervously waiting for someone, anyone to show. She wasn't going to enjoy this at all. Her night was jumbled in her mind. A mixture of feelings and images flooded mixing together in a dream like state. She tried to piece everything together, but it was like she needed a cryptograph to make sense of it all.

Caroline was the first to arrive. She was nice, as she usually was to Hope. She smiled, asked her how she was, and didn't say a word about what had happened. They followed her in and went to the couch. Caroline moved all the chairs in the room into a circle around the coffee table.

Freya returned with Alaric by her side. She silently handed her a smoothie and an egg wrap, then handed her wife the same.

Hope took a sip of the smoothie but couldn't bring herself to eat any of the wrap. She was feeling incredibly nervous. She felt like she was in trouble, what with her aunts sitting on either side on her and both the school's headmasters sitting across from them. Not to mention the silence was deafening.

She was almost relieved when Penelope walked through the doors. That relief was short lived, because she was pulling Josie along with her. "I figured Josie should be here for this, since it involves her too," Penelope said.

Josie smiled at Hope as she sat in the chair closest to Freya. Penelope took the last empty seat across from Hope. She looked into Hope's eyes and gave her a weak smile.

"I wasn't sure until last night," Penelope began. She opened the book she held to a page that had been marked. She handed it to Hope and waited for her to read the page over.

Hope looked up from the book. "It's in French. I'm not fluent."

Freya took the book from Hope and looked it over.

While Freya looked it over, Penelope began to explain what she knew. "It's a book of legends from the Chitimacha Indigenous tribe, written in the late eighteen hundreds. The author tells tales passed down through the generations, one of which is about beasts who are forced to change on the full moon. He called it loup-garou, or Rougarou as it's more commonly known as."

"I know that story," Hope said. "It's told to children in the city to scare them away from the bayou."

"Every legend has it's origin story. I think this one is that. I think that man was a descendant of the original tribe cursed by the Hollow. There are three stories he tells. The first is how the werewolves came to be, which is eerily similar to what we know about the creation of the wolves. The second is about the different bloodlines and the special powers each line possess, and the third is about…"

She pauses and looks to Josie sadly.

"What is the third one about?" Hope asked. When she didn't get a response right away, she looked to Freya. "Auntie Freya. What does it say?"

Freya looked up, but not at Hope. She looked to Caroline and Alaric. She passed the book to them. Caroline took it and held it out so both her and Alaric could read it.

Hope suddenly grew very irritated. "Will somebody please tell me what the damn book says?"

"It says…" Penelope said, then briefly looked to Josie again. "It says that alphas, incredibly powerful alphas, during their primal state, had the ability to find their true mate. A single touch is enough to tether them to the wolf or person, creating a bond between them."

Everyone in the room looked over, not to Hope, but to Josie, including Hope.

"What?" Josie sputtered.

Hope on the other hand stood up and took the book from Caroline, her mind was reeling, all the pieces of the night before falling into place. She could only make out a few words her and there, not enough to actually understand what she was reading. She thrust the book back at Caroline, who took it carefully, then walked over to Alaric's desk.

Hope thought over each time she had changed since the night she found Josie in the cemetery. She understood it all now. Everything she had felt and thought. She had the cryptograph now, and it was unlocking the secrets her wolf held.

From the second she had seen her, she felt the over whelming urge to comfort Josie and to protect her. Unlike Landon who she had wanted to eat. She remembered how intoxicating Josie's scent was. How the simple smell had overrode everything in her mind.

The first night she ran off, she remembered the feeling of being lost and sad, and how she wanted to make that go away. She remembered being pulled in one direction, because she was sure that direction would lead her to where she could fix it.

The second night was different. She wasn't only worried about Josie, but she wanted to be comforted by her. She had been so upset because she allowed the Necromancer the chance to get the knife and escape, that she needed to be with Josie.

It was same the third time. The first night she had shifted in her sleep. She had been dreaming of about Josie. She could feel how sad she was and wanted nothing more than to comfort her, to the point that her worry led her to change in her sleep.

She had been fine for the next few nights because she knew Josie was doing okay. Yes, Josie was still having nightmares, but Josie had read her to sleep, which calmed her wolf.

When Josie returned to school, things changed. She could feel Josie was having a nightmare. It called out through the school like a beacon. She had to check on Penelope first though. She had to show Penelope what Hope hadn't yet realized. She had to make sure her friend was okay with it. She had to help her move on, so she too could find happiness. Then she had to be there with Josie.

She had been so happy to be there with Josie. Just lying there with her. Content with simple contact.

Hope saw everything clearly now, as though her wolf has given her all the answers to the mystery they had been trying to solve.

Tears welled in her eyes as she realized the conversation she had with Penelope the night before. Her friend had known what her wolf had been trying to say. She had known the impact of her unspoken words.

She turned, her eyes connecting with Penelope's, who's also had unshed tears.

"I wasn't sure," Penelope said. A tear escaped down her cheek. "When I found the book, I suspected this is what was happening. The first time it happened was right after you saw her in the cemetery. Right after Josie travel to London, which is north-east of here. It was too coincidental, but I didn't want to tell you until I was positive." She paused and turned to look at Josie, then looked back. "It wasn't until last night that I was sure. You came to me to show me. You woke her from her nightmare like it was nothing, and when she saw you, she smiled at you, like she once smiled at me. That's when I knew. That's when I was sure."

She looked to Josie. "The book says a human mate won't feel the bond at first, but it will rapidly increase over time. Especially the more time you spend around Hope. I saw the smile you gave Hope. I think the bond is already there."

"I… Uh… Um…" Josie stuttered, then she got up, and fled from the room.

At the same time, fear and sadness flooded Hope's chest, and she knew right away, these were Josie's feelings, not hers.

Caroline got up to follow her, but Hope stopped her. "Wait. Give her a few minutes alone. She just needs time to process this."

"How do you…" Caroline started. "Never mind. We already know that answer." She dropped back into her chair with a heavy sigh. "What does this mean? For Josie I mean. Did my daughter go and get hitched and didn't even know it?"

"Sort of," Penelope said. "Hope created the bond, but only Josie can complete the bond."

"Yeah," Alaric said, then pointed to something in the book. "See. While the Alpha creates the bond between them, the perspective mate can break the bond if she chooses by formally rejecting the alpha, but if she wants to complete the bond, she must mark the alpha as hers. Then it gives the ritual to break the bond and a ritual to complete the bond. Oh…"

He closed the book and handed it back to Caroline. She opened it back up and read over what made Alaric blush. "Oh," she mimicked, then cleared her throat as she sat the book on the coffee table.

"Oh what?" Hope asked as she came back to the group. When neither answered her, she looked at Penelope and asked, "Oh what?"

"In order to complete the bond, she has to bite you while you have sex," Penelope said, a small smirk on her lips.

"Oh…" Hope mumbled embarrised. She cleared her throat awkwardly and asked, "Is there a time frame on when either has to happen?"

"It doesn't say, so I'm going to guess no on that," Penelope said.

Hope went to sit in between her aunts again. Both of whom wrapped an arm around her, Freya around her shoulders and Keelin around her waist. She leaned into Freya and put her hand on Keelin's thigh, soaking up as much comfort as they had to give.

A deep crushing feeling suddenly came over her. She looked to Caroline and said, "She's needs you."

Caroline didn't question what Hope had told her, she just stood and left the room without a word.

"She has a choice, right? I'm not forcing her into anything, right?" Hope begged.

Penelope smiled softly at her friend. "No forcing. All free will. She can even choose to break the bond after you've completed it. Divorce in a ritual."

"And what if I don't want any of this?" Hope asked.

"A part of you does, or you wouldn't have created the bond in the first place," Penelope answered.

"I didn't know I was creating a bond," Hope growled.

"I think you did," Penelope countered. "On some level, I think you knew that you wanted Josie to be yours. Maybe not consciously, but maybe, just maybe you've had feelings growing for Josie that you haven't wanted to acknowledge."

"I've barely spoken to Josie," Hope argued.

Penelope leaned forward and pointed out, "And yet you gave her a talisman, that makes quiet things heard, for her birthday."

Hope went to argue, but she had nothing. She had no reason to give her that talisman, other than the deep desire too. Maybe Penelope was right. Maybe she did develop feelings for Josie and she just hadn't noticed. Perhaps she didn't want to see, or perhaps it's because she had also developed feeling for Landon. Or maybe it was just another way for her subconscious to protect her. Josie was here, which made the potential for heartache real, while Landon had left, leaving her to pine over someone she probably would never see again.

"Shit," she blurted, realizing Penelope was right.

"Language," Freya and Alaric said together.

"Why me though?" she asked, angrily, despite already knowing the answer. "Why not Mom or Dad? They were both powerful alphas. Neither of them bonded to anyone."

"As far as we're aware. Your dad never chose to stay in wolf form long enough to pick a mate, and I don't know about you mother," Freya said. "Perhaps it's happening to you because you were born a powerful alpha. While both you parents were born alphas, they were equals to every other alpha. Their enhanced powers came from their vampire side. You were born a powerful wolf alpha, not created."

"Great. As if being the tribrid didn't cause enough problems in my life," she grumbled.

Freya pulled Hope closer and kissed the top of her head. "We're here for you, no matter what chaos your tribrid nature causes."

Silence lapsed over them, making Hope uncomfortable. She felt off, like she had done something wrong, and now they were forced to deal with the consequences. Which in a way it was, even though she didn't realize she was doing it.

"I feel like I just told you I got Josie pregnant and we have to get married because of it," Hope said sheepishly.

A look of horror crossed Alaric's face, as well as Freya's.

Penelope snorted, which turned into a chuckle when she saw the adult's faces. Then just as suddenly, she stopped and looked at Hope. "Wait. Do you think that's possible? I mean, you are an anomaly. What if your weird tribrid DNA gave you the ability to impregnant girls? That's like every lesbian's wildest fantasy. Damn. I kinda hope you can. That would be cool as shit."

Hope's eye's widened comically and her mouth dropped open. She turned to Freya, who groaned loudly and flopped backwards and brought her right hand up to rub her temple. She could already feel the headache brewing.

"Auntie Freya," Hope squeaked. "What if she's right?"

Freya looked at her niece, unsure of what to say, other then, "I don't know."

"Wait," Keelin interrupted. "You can't possibly think this is possible?"

Freya shrugged her shoulders. "A week ago, I would have said it was impossible, but we've spent days researching a hell dimension that has absorbed every magical creature from our daughter's bedtime stories, and she's magically linked herself to another person through ancient werewolf magic because she's a tribrid. I can't say that for sure, anymore."

"Well… How do we check?" Hope shrieked.

"Relax honey," Freya said comfortingly. She rubbed Hope's back soothingly. "There's a fertility spell I can alter to check for sure. Just don't go having sex until we are positive. Okay? I'm too young to be a great auntie, and I think you might break Alaric if you do get his daughter pregnant."

Hope looked at Alaric, who was sitting on the edge of his chair with his head in his hands. She could see how red his face was growing through his fingers, and she was pretty sure he had stopped breathing.

Penelope must have seen the same thing she did, because she yelled, "Dr. Saltzman. Breath!"

He sat back up and let out a long, shaky breath of air. "I need a drink," he mumbled. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "I can't believe this is a real conversation. I can't believe I am having a conversation like this when there is a very real possibility it is possible."

Caroline stepped through the doors looking a little worn. She stepped up behind her vacant chair and asked, "What are you talking about."

Penelope grinned devilishly and answered, "The possibility that Hope will impregnant your daughter when they have sex."

Caroline's face dropped. "Oh…" she said stunned. "And is this an actual possibility?"

"We're not ruling it out," Freya groaned.

"Oh," she repeated distantly. "I need a drink," she declared after a few moments, then made her way to Alaric's desk, where she knew he kept his alcohol. She opened the draw and found nothing. "Ric, where'd you move it?" she pleaded.

He groaned. "To the trash. Somebody insinuated that I wasn't grieving in a healthy way, so I got rid of it all."

"Well who the hell would do a thing like that?"

Hope hesitantly raised her hand. "That would be me. Though in my defense, we were arguing, and he was acting all fatherly again. I didn't think he'd actually listen to me."

Caroline came back to her chair and sat with a huff. "Well then… Josie is in her room. She's okay, but I suppose I don't have to tell you that."

Hope shook her head no. She could feel that Josie was okay. It was weird. Now that she understood what was happening, she could separate what he was feeling from what Josie was feeling. She wondered if the connection worked the same way for Josie.

"She wanted me to tell you that she will come to you when she's ready, and to please give her space," Caroline said.

"I can do that," Hope assured her.

Alaric clapped his hands together lightly. "I guess you girls can go about your day. Now that the mystery of Hope's wolf has been solved. You can go be actually teens for a while."

"We want to help with Malivore," Penelope said.

"You can, just not today," Alaric said. "Go. Fill MG in on what you learned. Finish the rest your classes. Hang out like normal kids. For one day. That's all I'm asking."

"Fine," Hope said as she stood. She grabbed Penelope's hand and pulled her up. She didn't let her go until they were down in cellar.

"Damn," Penelope whistled, as she surveyed the destruction Hope's spell had caused. "Remind me never to piss you off."

"Well, don't piss Josie off then. I'm pretty sure I got the spell from her."

Penelope stepped through the hole into Hope's cell. "Pretty sure?"

Hope was at her cot gathering all her things and hastily putting them in her backpack. She bent down and picked up her fallen tablet. Thank goodness she had a durable case on it. "I've never seen a spell like that. I only know two fire spells, and that was isn't one. Josie on the other hand knows several. I'm not sure how I know that. I just do."

She sat down on her bed and stared into the tablet's blank screen.

"It has to be the bond," Penelope said. "Can you imagine how strong the two of you will be once you complete it? I wonder what will happen? Is it just a mental connection, or will JoJo get some of your abilities?"

"It didn't say?" Hope asked.

"No. It was all technical. Didn't explain what would happen."

Hope looked back at her tablet and smiled weakly. Just last night, Josie had read her to sleep again. Now she wasn't speaking to her. It hurt. Even more so because she could feel the turmerol Josie was going through. She wondered if there was a way to shut it off.

Then there was another pain plaguing her. Her new best friend, someone who she had gotten extremely close to over the last week was in pain and it was her fault. She never meant to develop feelings for Josie, let alone create a bond with her. It hurt to know Penelope was in pain, and that some of that pain was her doing.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. Then looked up at Penelope. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

"Hey," Penelope scolded. "I told you already. We're good. I get it. She doesn't want me. I hurt her too badly, and as much as I want to be with her, I want her to be happy even more. She cares for you. I saw it last night. She instantly smiled when she saw you, and it wasn't just a 'hey, it's good to see you' smile. It was a 'you light up my world' smile. She used to smile at me like that, and now she smiles at you like that. So please don't feel bad."

"But I do," Hope said. "You're my friend and I feel like I am betraying you."

"Don't. I want you to be happy, and if that person is JoJo, then I will be happy for you," Penelope said.

"You know. You're not as evil as you let on," Hope chuckled lightly, which caused Penelope to laugh.

"Do me a favor and don't tell people," Penelope chuckled.

"Promise," she said, then stuck out her pinky. "Always and Forever."

Penelope looked at the pinky is shock. There wasn't a student in the school who didn't know about the Mikaelson's 'Always and Forever' vow. It was in the Mystic Falls Chronicles Dr. Saltzman wrote. It was in the Stefan Salvatore diary that no one was supposed to touch, but everyone had managed to read. And it was a part of the tales told to them about the family of original vampires.

She wrapped her own pinky around Hope's and repeated, "Always and Forever."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Josie was sitting at her desk, staring at her diary unsure of what to write. There was so much information that she had yet to fully process. She was bonded to someone. No… Not just someone. Hope. She was bonded to Hope. Well… Not fully apparently. She had to decide if she wanted to break the bond that Hope created or complete it.

How was she supposed to choose when she wasn't even sure of how she felt? There were so many things swirling inside of her creating a mess of emotions. Did she have feelings for Hope? Did she want to pursue a relationship with her? Did she want to essentially get married to Hope? What would happen if they did complete the bond? What would happen if she broke the bond? Would things change between them? Would things go back to how they were before, with Hope barely speaking to her? She didn't want that. She wanted Hope in her life. She liked having Hope to talk to. She liked having Hope there.

She just liked Hope.

Josie growled and threw her pen on the desk. It was all too much. She was only sixteen. She shouldn't have to worry about something like this. Not yet at least.

"Josie? Josie?" she heard Lizzie calling her from the hallway, then a few seconds later, the blonde walked through the doorway. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you."

"You found me," she commented.

"Only because your emotions were screaming out for me," Lizzie said. "What's going on? Who do I have to hurt? Is it Penelope again?"

"No," Josie said with a light chuckle. She liked when Lizzie got all protective. It was this side of Lizzie she wished more people would see."

"Well, who then? MG?" Josie shook her head "Mom?" She shook her head again. "Dad?" Again, she shook her head no. "Hope?" Josie bit her lower lip this time. "It's Hope isn't it? What'd she do? Did she hurt you? Did she turn you down? No… Did she break up with you? I'm not stupid ya know. I know something was going on. She's the only one you talked to while we were in Europe, and then she barged in here in the middle of the night because you were having nightmare. Tell me the truth. What's going on?"

Josie stood up and placed her hands on Lizzie's shoulders to calm her. "Breath," she said. "It's nothing like that."

"Then what's going on, because I haven't felt this much conflicting emotions coming from you since the night you broke it off with Satan."

Josie pushed Lizzie backwards to her bed, then sat across from her on her own. She carefully told Lizzie about what had been going on with Hope, and all the information Penelope had discovered. When Josie finished, she quietly watched as an array of emotions crossed her sister's face.

Once she had absorbed everything her sister had told her, she looked at her and rasped, "She imprinted on you. That dirty wolf imprinted on my sister."

"I don't think it's like that, exactly," Josie demurred. "I think it's more like she's asking me to go out, in her own wolfly way."

"And what happens if you don't want to 'go out' with her?" Lizzie grunted.

"Mom says I can say no if I want, and then the bond will break, but only I can choose to complete the bond," Josie sighed.

"I'm gonna kill her," Lizzie declared. "How dare she imprint on my sister without your permission first."

"It's not like she knew what she was doing," Josie said in Hope's defense. "This isn't something that happens very often."

"Why are you defending her?" Lizzie asked.

Josie opened her mouth then shut it again. She had to think about why she was defending her. "Because I care about her."

"Well that much is obvious," Lizzie mocked, then relaxed a little. She sighed loudly, letting all her pent-up frustration leak out through it. "Are you going to complete the bond?"

"I don't know. I care about Hope. It's been nice having her to talk to, and she clearly cares about me, but it's only been a few weeks since we started talking. I mean, she ignored us for ten years. That hurt. I'm not sure if I'm ready to jump head first into something as heavy as this with her."

"You're not going to make me be nice to her, are you?" Lizzie asked.

"I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do, but if I do go through with this, I would love it if my sister and my girlfriend got along. Penelope's issues with you is one of the reasons we didn't last."

"I suppose, if you allow the wolf to keep her imprint on you, then I could, maybe, be cordial, as long as she is too," Lizzie drawled.

Josie smiled. "Thanks Lizzie." She leaned across the space between their beds and wrapped her arms around Lizzie, who hugged back.

"If she hurts you, all bets are off," Lizzie declared.

Josie chuckled. "I haven't even decided what I am going to do, so you have a little time to get used to it. There is so much to think about, but it's hard because I think I might be feeling a little of Hope's feeling too."

"Say what now?" Lizzie asked horrified. That meant some of what she was sensing from Josie was also from Hope.

"It's the bond. I think it's not as strong as what Hope has been feeling, but I can sense it now. Ever since we got home yesterday. It was little at first. I didn't notice it. Then last night, she couldn't sleep. I think I sensed that. I called her and read to her because she likes that. I know that because I could feel how content she felt as I read. Then this morning, when she fled our room. I could feel how embarrised she was and how nervous. I thought it was just me, but I think it was her. It's growing stronger. I'm having a hard time sorting out what I am feeling and what she is feeling."

"Well what do you think she is feeling?"

"Right now…" Josie bit her lip and she sifted through the feeling. "Guilty. I have nothing to feel guilty for. I'm upset over the situation and worried, but I'm not guilty. She on the other hand thinks she is."

"As she should be," Lizzie proclaimed.

"None of this is her fault," Josie insisted, then bit her lip again. "Now she's feeling love. And happiness. She must be with someone. Her aunts maybe."

"That's weird," Lizzie commented.

"It is a bit strange," Josie said. "It's not a strong connection. Ours is much stronger at times, when we listen to it."

"But it's still there."

Josie nodded her head. "I can't feel her anymore," she said with relief. "Maybe there's a way to shut it off."

"Yeah, it's called deny her and her freaky wolf imprinting," Lizzie said.

"I want a little time to decide," Josie said.

"Fine," Lizzie huffed. "I'll be nice and won't say a word while you decide."

"Thank you," Josie said.

"Just remember how creepy it was when Jacob imprinted on a baby," Lizzie said and then fled the room before Josie had a chance to scold her.

She flopped back on the bed with a huff. Of all the things that could have happened in her life, this had been the strangest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: I swear on Hosie that this chapter has been completed for weeks and was in no way affected by episode 14. Just felt the need to let you know this.


	6. Conversations and Blood

Chapter 6: Conversations and Blood

It had been three days since they learned about the bond Hope accidental created with Josie. Three very long days of no communication between them. Hope would see Josie in the halls and would smile, but she kept her promise to keep her distance and give Josie time to process.

Three monsters had come and been defeated, but they hadn't made any headway on shutting down Malivore for good. Marcel had traveled to Taiwan to investigate a possible second pit location. He had traced the company known as The Triad to several locations around the world. Some of which were already shut down. They had yet to hear from him.

Freya and Keelin had reluctantly returned to New Orleans. It had been over a week since they'd seen their daughter and were missing her immensely. They planned to return, but until then, Rebekah was due to arrive to take their places.

Hope was sitting on the front steps waiting for her aunt to arrive. Penelope had been sitting with her, but it was past curfew on a school night. Not that, that had stopped her, but Caroline has caught her and sent her off to bed.

Hope stood when a black limo pulled up to the school. The driver got out and ran to open the door for Rebekah, who stepped out of the car gracefully. "Hello darling," she said with a smile on her lips. She pulled Hope into a big hug, lifting her niece off the ground, then put her back with a kiss on her cheek.

She turned to the driver and told him to take her things inside, then he was free to leave. She wrapped her arm around Hope's shoulders, then they walked into the school together. "So, I hear you went at proposed to a girl."

Hope blushed. "I'd hardly call it a proposal."

"Then what would you call it darling," Rebekah asked.

"Asking her to go steady," Hope said unsurely.

Rebekah laughed. "Come then, I want to hear all about this girl, but first I'm parched. I hope Alaric keeps decent blood here."

They made their way to the kitchen, where Hope pulled out a blood bag for her aunt. "I don't think you're going to like it."

Rebekah took a sip and grimaced. "Animal blood. Ghastly. Ugh. I suppose it'll have to do for now. I don't think Alaric will be pleased if I start eating the students due to starvation, since I stupidly went and promise not to eat the locals."

Hope chuckled, "I think you're right. It took Auntie Freya, Aunt Keelin, and Caroline to convince him to let you come."

Rebekah looked surprised. "Caroline vouched for me, did she? Is hell freezing over?"

Hope laughed. Growing up she had talked to Rebekah the most out of her aunts and uncles next to Freya of course, but Freya had the advantage of physical being in the same space as her. Since her father had sacrificed himself, Rebekah had made it a habit to always be home when Hope was, giving them lots of time to bond. Freya, who had years with Hope, always made sure Rebekah got plenty of one on one time with her.

Rebekah took a mug from the cupboard and emptied the bag into it, then heated the blood up. "So," she said, then took a hesitant sip. "Tell me all about this girl who's captured your heart."

"Her name is Josie," Hope said, and watch her aunt in amusement.

Rebekah's eye widened, "As in Josie Saltzman. One half of the Saltzman twin. The daughters to the very man who despised your father, for good reason, with a passion and the woman who would very much like to see me daggered in a box."

"Maybe," Hope said.

Rebekah laughed. "You know your father was madly in love with Caroline. He swore she would be his. It was quite adorable, in a sickening kind of way. I can't tell if this is a bout or irony or poetic justice."

"Well since she still hasn't talked to me yet, neither will work," Hope said.

"She'll come around. No one can resist the Mikaelson charm for very long," Rebekah assured her. "So, tell me about her."

Hope smiled softly. "She's amazing. She cares so much about everyone around her. I can't wait for you to meet her. That's if she ever talks to me again."

"Like I said, it's only a matter of time," Rebekah said comfortingly. "Come, lets head to your room before Alaric catches us out of bed and uses it as an excuse to ban me from campus."

They grabbed Rebekah's suitcases, which were sitting just inside the door and headed to Hope's room. When she opened the door, she found all of her lights on, which she was positive she had turned off before she left.

She smiled when she realized why they were on. Penelope was sitting on her window seat, still in her uniform, and a smirk on her lips. "I thought Mrs. Forbes-Salvatore told you to go to bed?"

"Yeah. She didn't say where though," she snarked.

Rebekah laughed, "I like this one, Hope. You must be the new best friend."

Penelope stood and sauntered across the room and offered her hand to Rebekah. "Penelope Parks."

Rebekah took the hand politely. "Hello Penelope Parks. I'm Rebekah, but you can call me Auntie Bex."

Hope laughed at the look on Penelope's face. It was some where between shock and awe. She dropped her aunt's bags onto her bed the went to her dresser to pull out pajamas. She pulled a second set out for Penelope.

"So maybe you can tell me more about this Josie character, since my niece seems a bit tight lipped tonight."

"Auntie Bex. That's not such a good idea," Hope warned.

"No…" Penelope said. She took the pajamas Hope was offering her. "It's okay," she assured her.

"Alright. What's going on?" Rebekah asked.

Penelope smile softly. "Josie is my ex. Hope is just trying to spare my feelings."

Realization crossed Rebekah's features. "And you are still madly in love with her?"

"Very much so," Penelope sad replied.

"And yet your best friends with my niece, despite the fact that she is basically magically engaged to the girl you love."

Penelope shrugged her shoulders. "Josie made it clear she doesn't want to get back together. She doesn't want me, but Hope does. I love Hope too, and I'm glad she's my friend. I want them both to be happy. If they make each other happy than I'm happy."

"Well then. You know the best way to get over someone you love?"

"Grieve them for a hundred years, find them but don't get back together for years, then dump him, only to marry him in the end," Hope snarked.

"No silly. That is what you call an epic love story," Rebekah proclaimed. "I'm talking about a fling. No strings attach sex."

"Aunt Rebekah," Hope whined.

"What? I had the most delicious summer with Matt Donavan when I was trying to get over Stefan. We had the most decadent time in the 20's, Stefan and I. You see he was my play thing after I believed Marcel had died. I feel madly in love with him though. Then my brother, Hope's father, daggered me and kept me in a box for almost a century. When I woke, Stefan was in love with perfect Elena Gilbert, and I was left forgotten. Matt was simple, but fun, and did the trick nicely. So, what's your type? Are you strictly into girls or do fancy the boys as well? I myself have been with mostly men, but ladies to have a certain appeal that men lack. They taste much better too."

"Auntie Bex," Hope shrieked, causing Penelope and Rebekah to laugh.

"What's wrong Hope? Are your virgin ears burning?" Penelope teased.

"Virgin? I thought you had that thing with… what's his name… the human who's the cause of all this monster fuss."

"Landon," Hope replied. "And we only kissed. Twice. Nothing more."

"Hope's not allowed to have sex until Freya makes sure she can't impregnant Josie."

"Oh yes, Freya did mention that. I thought she was messing with me at first. She did sound like she was hitting the bottle heavily at the time.

"You should have seen Dr. Saltzman's face when I thought of the possibility. Priceless."

"I wish I could have seen," Rebekah said.

Rebekah ask Hope a question, but she didn't hear it. She was distracted by an overwhelming nervous feeling, that were not her own, and were getting stronger. "Josie's coming."

Penelope and Rebekah looked at her in surprise. "How do you know?" Rebekah asked.

"Hope can feel what Josie feels sometimes," Penelope answered quietly.

"Well isn't that handy."

"She's nervous. Really nervous. Her heart is beating out her chest," Hope told them.

The came a knock at the door that startled all of them. Hope looked at the door, suddenly unable to tell if she was feeling Josie's anxiety or her own.

"Well open it," Penelope hissed.

Hope didn't move though, so she got up and answered the door herself. "Hey JoJo, what's up?"

Josie looked surprised to see her there but recovered quickly. "Is Hope here?"

Penelope opened the door wider and stepped to the side. Josie hesitantly stepped into the room and stood awkwardly by the door.

"So, this is the girl who capture my niece's heart," Rebekah said. Hope mentally facepalmed. Rebekah went over to Josie, visibly sized her up, then offered her hand. "Rebekah Mikaelson."

Josie took the hand hesitantly, "Josie Saltzman," she replied.

"We're just going to go and give you two some privacy," Penelope said, the grabbed Rebekah's arm. "Come on Auntie Bex. Let's go." She dragged Rebekah out the door, leaving them alone.

Josie smiled lightly at Hope. "How are you?"

Hope put one finger up, then whispered the incantation to a spell she wrote herself. A wall of blue wrapped around the room, then disappeared into the ceiling. A moment later they heard Penelope said, "Damn it." Hope smiled. "We can hear them, but they can't hear us," She explained.

"That's a nifty spell," Josie marveled.

"I'll teach it to you, if you'd like," Hope offered.

Josie smiled shyly. "I would."

Hope gestured for her to sit on the bench at the end of her bed. They sat, somewhat awkwardly at first, then giggled.

"This is ridiculous," Josie said. "We shouldn't be this nervous."

"And yet we are," Hope replied with a smile.

"I'm sorry to come so late, but I couldn't sleep, and I could feel you were still awake," Josie apologized.

"It's okay. I'm… I'm glad you're here."

Josie gently took Hope's hand. "Thank you for giving me time to process what we learned," she said. She traced her thumb over the lines on Hope's palm. She looked up and smiled again. "I actually decided yesterday what I wanted to do, but I couldn't figure out how to talk to you. I was afraid you wouldn't want the same."

"I want to do whatever you want to do," Hope offered, hoping to ease her anxiety.

"I know," Josie said. "You've been sending it through the bond all day," she explained.

"I have been," she asked. She hadn't realized she was doing that.

"You have," Josie insisted. "It's okay though. It made me realize that maybe this is something we should decide together."

"You're the only one who gets to choose, Josie. It has to be your choice, not mine."

Josie squeezed Hope's hand comfortingly. "Do you want to be with me? Answer me honestly."

"I…" Hope started but stopped as she decided how to say what she wanted. "I… I guess I'd like to see where this goes."

Josie smiled again. "Me too," she agreed. "I don't want to formally break the bond yet. If you'd like to, I'd very much like to be your girlfriend and see where we end up. Then, when we're both ready, we decided together whether to break the bond or complete it."

"I… I'd like that very much," She sighed in relief.

"Good… Great."

Hope smiled widely as relief flooded her whole system. She leaned forward and captured Josie's lips with her own, putting every happy feeling she had into it. She felt Josie's hand come up and grasp the back of her neck, pulling her closer. Josie pulled away to catch her breath. The widest smile Hope had ever seen was on her lips and took her breath away.

"I should get back before Lizzie notices I'm not there," Josie said. "Can we have breakfast together tomorrow? Maybe before everyone else wakes?"

"I'd love that," Hope said.

Josie's smile suddenly turned into a frown. "Penelope is okay with us, right? Us being together isn't going to hurt your friendship is it?"

"She's still hurting, but she want's us to be happy," Hope said. "I think she'll be okay over time."

"Good, because I'd like it if we could all be friends," Josie said.

"I'm sure she'd love that," Hope assured her.

Josie smiled widely and leaned in for another kiss. This was gentler and caring. She pulled away. "I'll see you in the morning. Say around six in the dining hall. I'll have everything ready for us." She pecked Hope on the lips, then flounced out of the room.

Rebekah and Penelope, who were sitting on either side of the door, turned and peeked into the room expectantly. Hope smiled widely at them and then whisper the incantation to drop the spell.

"So," Rebekah began as they reentered the room. "Am I going to be planning a wedding soon?"

Hope told them what Josie had said and could barely hold in her excitement as she told them they officially girlfriends. She could see the hurt in Penelope's eyes, but she could also see the love and genuine happiness for her. They stayed up until well after midnight chatting, about everything from Josie to Rebekah's obsession with getting Penelope laid.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Josie sat at the table, nervously waiting for Hope to arrive. She had everything ready to go, for their breakfast, she was just waiting on her girlfriend. She giggled. It was still strange to call Hope her girlfriend. Nice, but strange.

She felt Hope coming before she saw her and stood to great her. Hope smiled as she walked through the doors, which made Josie's heart flutter. She loved Hope's smile. It her opinion it was the best thing in the world to see, especially first thing in the morning.

Hope captured Josie's lips in a tender kiss, then said, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Morning," she replied happily. "Come. I have a surprise for you." She grabbed the basket off the table and pulled Hope along. Hope gently took the basket from her and linked their arms together and allowed Josie to lead her where she wanted.

Josie lead them out the kitchen doors into the dark morning. The sun hadn't begun to rise as they made their way across the school ground to the old mill. Josie led them up the stairs to a little spot where she already had a blanket set up. There were dozens of lit candles scattered across the floor and blanket. "I know it's not much, but I've spent a lot of time here the last few days, and I want to show you something. We have to wait for it to happen though."

She smiled at Hope. "May I take a little power?"

"Of course," Hope replied.

Josie siphoned a little bit of Hope's magic, then whispered the word to a spell she had been practicing. All at once the candles were raised up to just above their head like the ones in Harry Potter. She smiled at the awe filled look on Hope's face.

"Just like in the book," she said, then looked at Josie with a big smile.

"Just like in the book," Josie repeated. She pulled Hope over to the blanket. She had positioned the blanket at a spot that over looked the grounds, with no tree's in their line of sight. It would give them a perfect view of the sunrise. She opened the basket and pulled out the containers one by one. The cooks were already up prepping for the morning meal, and they were kind enough to make them each an omelet and cut up some fruit for them to share. She even packed something else for Hope, just incase she needed it.

Hope was still happily staring up at the lights.

"Hope," Josie said, gathering her attention.

"Magic amazing sometimes," She grinned. "I don't think we stop to appreciate it enough."

"I agree," Josie replied. "Um… I wasn't sure… That is, we've never really discussed… I mean you're a very private person… and your dad, he was a vampire. So, I heated up some… you know, just in case."

Hope followed along and tried to decipher Josie's rambling. "Oh…" she said, when she finally understood what Josie was asking. "I guess we have a lot to discuss," she said awkwardly. "I don't drink blood, but that was so sweet of you to think about." She grabbed Josie's hand. "I haven't unlocked my full vampire side yet. I do have some vampire abilities already. I was already stronger and faster and had better hearing than a human before I triggered my wolf side. My blood is vampiric. It's why I heal so quickly, and I can turn any wolf or human into a vampire."

"But you don't drink blood," Josie said.

"No. I also can't compel anyone. My hearing is good, but not nearly as good as MG's and he's also faster than I am, unless I'm in wolf form." Hope bit her lip then hesitantly asked, "Would you be okay if my vampire side was unlocked, because there's a good chance I'm going to wake up one morning a full tribrid."

Josie smiled, "I will be perfectly okay with you being a full tribrid."

Hope smiled and sighed in relief. She picked up a strawberry slice and offered it to Josie, who opened her mouth. They spent the rest of their breakfast talking about nothing and everything, while taking turns feeding each other.

Then, just as they had finished all their food, Josie pointed out to the horizon. Hope turned to look at what Josie was pointing at and marveled at the sight. She hadn't even noticed the sun was rising. Josie moved to cradle Hope in her arms. Hope turned in Josie's arms and give her a soft kiss on the cheek, then snuggled into her arms as they watched the night sky brighten with mixtures of orange, red, and yellow, floating in a sea of blue.

When the sun had completely risen, they packed up the containers and headed back to school. They dropped the containers off in the kitchen. Hope grabbed a mug out of the cabinet, then quietly asked, "Do you think you could help me with something?"

"Sure. Anything," Josie replied.

Hope led her to the nurse's office, where she carefully unlocked the door with a spell, and slipped in with Josie. "You can't tell anyone I'm doing this. Your dad will flip."

"Okay," Josie said. She was curious as to what she was going to do.

Hope opened one of the draws and pulled out a needle with a long tube, and a tourniquet. She put them in her pocket and careful snuck them back out. She led them to the nearest bathroom and locked the door with a spell.

She set the mug on the counter by the sinks and pulled the needle and tourniquet out of her pocket. She rolled up her left sleeve and handed the tourniquet to Josie. "You're not squeamish about drawing blood, are you?"

"No," she said. She took the thick rubber tube from Hope and tied it around Hope's arm. "I just need you to hold the tube in the cup while I hold the needle in," Hope told her.

Josie took the end of the long tube and put it in the mug, while Hope put the needle in one of her veins. Red blood began flowing through the tube and into the mug.

"Why are we doing this?" Josie asked.

"It's for my Aunt Rebekah," Hope explained. "She'll go crazy if she keeps drinking the school's animal blood. Apparently, it's terrible, and if I offer to let her feed on me, she'll refuse. It's nice having her here, but she only is because of what's happened between us. If I bring her a mug of warm delicious blood, she won't be able to refuse, even if she suspects it's coming from me. Which she probably will. She not as stupid as some of the stories about her suggest."

She pulled the needle out and waited until the last drop had landed in the mug. The she washed it and tucked it way to use later. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Josie smiled widely. "Perfectly. It's really nice that you're doing this for your aunt."

"It's the least I can do," Hope said. "I'll do almost anything to keep my family happy and somewhat sane." Hope took Josie's hand and let her lead them out of the bathroom and up to her room.

Penelope and Rebekah were both still sound asleep, which was a bad thing, because classes started in less than half an hour. Hope flipped the lights on, and set the mug on her desk, then went over to her bed and shook Penelope awake.

She gave Hope an evil glare before rolling over and going back over to sleep. Well she tried to anyways. Hope laughed, and then push Penelope out of the bed.

"Ow," she yelled. "What'd ya do that for?"

Hope flopped onto the bed and peeked over the side. "Classes start in like twenty minutes."

Penelope's eye's widened. "Why'd ya let me sleep so long?" She asked as she frantically untangled herself from the blankets.

"Why is it my fault? I wasn't here, remember? First date with Josie."

Penelope stopped struggling and looked up at Hope. "Oh yeah. How'd it go? Did you get to first base?"

Josie cleared her throat dramatically, which caused Penelope to sit up and give her a sheepish look. "Hi JoJo."

"Good morning Penelope," Josie smiled.

Rebekah chose that moment to groan very loudly. "You better have a very good reason for being so loud. Vampires need their beauty rest too you know."

"Good morning Auntie Bex." Hope stood up, and grabbed the mug of her blood, and took it to Rebekah. "I brought breakfast."

Rebekah uncovered her head and stared at the mug happily. "Oh, you sweet, sweet child," she cooed. She sat up and accepted the mug, taking a hesitant sip, expecting it to be as gross as before, except it wasn't. It was amazing. She took a big gulp, then looked at her niece. "Whose blood did you steal?"

Hope gave Josie an 'I told you so' look. "Does it matter?"

"It does, if it's going to get someone in trouble," Rebekah warned.

"I think we're good," Hope assured her. "Just enjoy it, and don't think too hard about where I got it. We need to get to class. I'll bring you another mug at lunch. If you get hungry in between then, you're stuck with the animal blood."

"Hope," Rebekah said warningly.

"It's all good, Auntie Bex. I promise," She said, then went over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."

"Always and Forever," Rebekah said.

"Always and Forever," Hope echoed. "Come on Penelope, we'll walk you to dorm and wait for you to get ready."

Penelope followed behind them, yelling good bye to Rebekah as she went. Hope went to grab Josie's hand, but she felt awkward being all couple-y in front of Penelope, so she gently took her hand back. Hope gave her a hurt look. Penelope, who witnessed the entire exchange, came up behind them and grabbed their hands to push them together.

"I'm okay," she said. "Don't be afraid to be together because of me. Be happy. Hold hands. Kiss. I'm okay with it. I promise." She ran ahead before either could argue with her.

"She's trying," Hope said.

"I know. I don't want to hurt her," Josie replied sadly.

"I know. I don't either," Hope agreed. "I just think the more she see's us, the easier it will be on her."

"Maybe you're right."

"I'll talk to her again tonight. Make sure she's doing okay," Hope promised. "Thank you again for your help. I know drawing blood to feed to my aunt isn't the most kosher thing to take part in, but I know she won't feed off me."

"It's okay."

"I had a great time this morning," Hope beamed.

Josie smiled just as widely. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"I did, but I get to plan the next date. Say tomorrow night at six?" Hope asked hopeful.

"It's a date," Josie agreed, she leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on Hope's lips. A few seconds later Penelope was rushing from her room, ready for the day.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope was the last to arrive for lunch, but Josie had saved her a seat between her and Penelope. Neither had told their friends (other than Penelope and Lizzie of course) that they had begun dating, or that they had a magical bond created by Hope werewolf side. Not even MG knew that yet. They wanted to tell everyone together. That way no one felt excluded.

MG was ecstatic, Landon was happy for them, Rafael seemed happy, but there was a sad glint in his eyes. The same one that Penelope often had when they talk about her link to Josie. She wondered if he had developed feelings for Josie too. Lizzie on he other hand, made a big show of fake gagging. Of course, she wasn't going to be thrilled that Hope was dating her sister. She hated Hope.

After lunch Hope enlisted Penelope in helping her to fill a mug of blood for her aunt. Penelope was a little more grossed out than Josie had been, but she helped none-the-less. It took her a little while to find her aunt. When she finally did, she's a little nervous to give her the mug, because she found her in Alaric's office with him and Caroline.

Caroline gave her a funny look when she handed her aunt the mug but didn't comment. She did, however, pull Hope to the side to talk with her about Josie. She took Hope to her office so they can speak privately.

"You're not in trouble. I just wanted to talk with you about everything," Caroline said. She sat in her desk chair and gestured to the one across from her. "Josie seems happy. She's told us that you will be deciding together whether you will be breaking the bond or completing it. I just want to tell you that Alaric and I will accept whatever decision you make. Though I do want to see how you are doing. This is a lot for anyone to handle."

Hope smiled, "I'm okay Mrs. Forbes-Salvatore. I'm happy. For the first time in a while, I am happy."

"You look like your father when you smile," Caroline said fondly. "It lights up your eyes, which is all him. I think he would have rain down hell on us for allowing his daughter to bond with someone without his permission, but he would have been so proud of you for doing it with Josie. He probably would have smirked and made a comment about being the Mikaelson to capture the heart of a Forbes girl."

Caroline wiped away a tear and smiled sadly at Hope. "I wish he could see the beautiful woman you're becoming. A woman I will be proud to call my daughter-in-law if that's what you and Josie decide. But if you decide to break the bond and part ways, I want to make it clear that Ric and I are always here for you. Whatever you need Hope, please don't hesitate to ask."

Hope tried to discreetly wipe away her tears, but it was obvious what she was doing. "Thanks Mrs. Forbes-Salvatore."

"Call me Caroline," she said. "My name's a mouthful."

"Okay Caroline," Hope said awkwardly.

"It'll take some getting used to," Caroline chuckled. "Why don't you head to class." Hope got up to leave, but Caroline stopped her at the door. "Be careful who is around when you give your blood to your aunt. Some of us can tell the difference between the animal and human, but not all of us can control ourselves. And please don't let Ric catch you doing it. God knows he's already on edge around her. If he knows she willingly taking your blood, he might shoot her with his crossbow a few times."

"She doesn't know it's mine," Hope told her. "I'm sure she suspects, but for all she knows, I could have been giving her Josie's blood."

"Yeah. Don't tell Ric that," Caroline insisted.

"You're way chill about this," Hope remarked. "I thought you were the one who instituted the animal diet."

"No that was all Ric," Caroline said. "I'm stuck on it for now, because I haven't had a chance to hit up the blood bank since I got home. I hate the animal blood, but I also have amazing control over my instincts. I have since early on. Not all do, which is why I agreed to the animal blood."

"I could bring you a cup when I bring my aunts," Hope offered.

"That's sweet of you, but I'll be okay," Caroline declined.

"That's why I didn't offer my blood to Auntie Bex. I knew she would refuse to feed off me."

Caroline snorted. "So, you blood drugged her instead."

Hope shrugged her shoulders "And I'll keep doing it as long as she's here. If it keeps her from going insane on the bunny diet."

"You're a good niece Hope," Caroline smiled.

Hope went back over to Alaric's office after that, to check on their progress. The next monster had arrived, and they were talking a break from researching Malivore, to figure out how to kill the thing.

She spent the afternoon with them, reading through book after book until they had finally found the answer. In a children's story book none-the-less. Once they had slain the monster, Hope went to shower. She was really getting tired of the monsters that exploded goo all over her.


	7. Running Wild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for those of you who follow me on twitter, this is the bitch of a chapter I was complaining about. For those of you who don't, I wrote 2,500 words and deleted them, twice, and the only reason this chapter was completed, was because I went full fanfiction writer on its ass. I took some Harry Potter and some Charmed (OG), and smushed it in with the Legacies. It took me two weeks to complete the chapter, but I think it turned out okay. Thankfully.
> 
> (I do not own the Harry Potter and Charmed ideas and creatures mentioned in this chapter.)
> 
> Just so you are aware, I have decided to forgo the whole Malivore backstory, and go with my original plan, for the most part any ways.
> 
> Thank you for all the review. Y'all have been amazing, and have helped my muses immensely.

AN: So, for those of you who follow me on twitter, this is the bitch of a chapter I was complaining about. For those of you who don't, I wrote 2,500 words and deleted them, twice, and the only reason this chapter was completed, was because I went full fanfiction writer on its ass. I took some Harry Potter and some Charmed (OG), and smushed it in with the Legacies. It took me two weeks to complete the chapter, but I think it turned out okay. Thankfully.

(I do not own the Harry Potter and Charmed ideas and creatures mentioned in this chapter.)

Just so you are aware, I have decided to forgo the whole Malivore backstory, and go with my original plan, for the most part any ways.

Thank you for all the review. Y'all have been amazing, and have helped my muses immensely.

Chapter 7: Running Wild

Hope was running through the woods in wolf form. It was the first time since her wolf decided Josie was her ideal mate that she had been able to run free without the fear of ending up in a different town. Now that she understood what her subconscious had been trying to tell her, she was one with her wolf again.

She was a little nervous at first, which is why she had Penelope cast a boundary spell around the back acres. It gave her just enough room to test the theory, while still giving her room to stretch her legs. So far, she felt normal.

She felt the bond between her and Josie much stronger while in that form. She could feel that Josie was sleeping soundly in her room. Hope longed to be with her, but the tug that had plagued her while Josie had been in Europe was gone. She knew where she was, and she was certain that she was safe and sound. She even knew that Josie was dreaming peacefully.

Hope spent an hour chasing one animal after the next, never actually catching them, despite being able to. She just wanted to play tonight, not eat. She would have spent longer, but Penelope was waiting for her at the old mill.

She returned to the mill and gave a little howl to alert Penelope of her presence. She couldn't go any further until Penelope dropped the boundary spell. A few moments later, her friend exited the mill, with Hope's clothing in hand. "About damn time," she grumbled. She waited for Hope to change back, as Hope's orders, just in case her wolf decided to make a break for it, then dropped the barrier spell. "I was beginning to worry you broke free."

Hope took her clothing and quickly changed. "Sorry. I wanted to run for little."

"You back to normal?" Penelope asked.

"The bonds stronger when I'm in wolf form, but I don't feel the tug to go to Josie," Hope answered. "At least not like it was before we knew what was happening. I can feel that she is peacefully sleeping, which puts my wolf at ease."

"Is it weird being tied to someone else?"

"Yeah," Hope replied. "But at the same time, I feel complete. Like this is how it was always supposed to be. The stronger the bond grows, the more complete I feel."

"How is Josie dealing with it?" Penelope asked softly.

"She feels okay with it," Hope answered. "We haven't really talked about what it means. I think she's content with just exploring our relationship. The bond is a separate entity at the moment."

"What are you going to do for your date tomorrow?"

Hope smiled widely, "I convinced Dr. Saltzman to let me take her into town. A simple dinner and a movie. Like normal teenagers who aren't connected by a magical bond."

"How'd you manage that?"

Hope chuckled, "I enlisted Caroline's help. She's going to take us into town, and then go visit the Salvatores." She smiled as she thought about her plans for her date. She actually had this whole romantic evening planned but felt a little awkward about sharing the details with Penelope. "So, hey…"

"Don't," Penelope warned. "I told you we're good. You don't have to keep checking to make sure that hasn't changed, because it hasn't."

"I know, but still… I just want to make sure you're okay. You know in a general, 'I'm your best friend and you just had you heart crushed, and I want to make sure you're alright because I love you and I'm dating the girl who crushed your heart,' kind of way."

"Say that three times fast," Penelope joked. She grabbed Hope's arm, halting their steps for a moment. "I'm okay Hope. I promise. I knew she was never going to take me back, but I got my hopes up. You though, you've been great, and I'm choosing to focus on our friendship and your relationship with her, rather then the past."

"Okay." Hope said. "You'll tell me if it gets too awkward or if you're hurting though, right?"

"I promise," Penelope agreed. She stuck out her pinky. "Always and forever?" she asked shyly.

Hope smiled widely as she inked her pinky with Penelope's. "Always and forever."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope was having the most wonderful dream about Josie, or perhaps with Josie. They were sitting on the docks by the lake. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow over the water. They were giggling over silly things and enjoying each other's company. It was simple, but so wonderful.

When out of nowhere dark clouds rolled in, thunder rolled deafening their conversation and lighting cracked striking the water, causing ripples to roll over the surface. Josette, Josie's biological mother stood in the center of the lake, walking across the surface with an evil look on her face.

Then, all of a sudden, she's being buried alive next to Josie. She tried to dig her way out, but the more she dug, the heavier the dirt felt. She knew it was a dream, but she couldn't calm herself enough to recognize that fact. She was stuck, trying to dig her way to the surface, but never succeeding.

Hope woke with a start, accidentally throwing Penelope, who had been cuddling with her, off the bed. Penelope groaned in pain, but Hope didn't have time to apologize. She was out the room before her friend even realized what happened. She didn't bother knocking on Josie's door. She flung it open with magic. It banged loudly against the desk, startling Lizzie awake. Not that Hope noticed. All she cared about was stopping the dark dream her girlfriend was having.

Josie was thrashing in her sleep, obviously still trying to fight her way to the surface. Hope gently placed her right hand on Josie's neck and stroked her thumb soothing over her cheek. "It's okay, Josie. It's okay," she said comfortingly.

"What's going on?" Lizzie asked, but Hope ignored her. She would explain after she coaxed Josie from the nightmare.

Josie calmed almost instantly. Hope could feel the panic lessen, leaving behind a deep sadness. She wasn't sure if it was her who was feeling that, Josie, or a mixture of them both.

She sighed in relief when Josie opened her eyes. "You had me worried," she sighed.

Josie didn't respond with words. Instead, she sat up and pulled Hope into a deep hug and started crying softly. Hope rubbed her back as she cried, and whispered, "It's okay now," over and over again.

Hope could hear people talking softly around her, but she was too wrapped up in comforting Josie to comprehend what they were saying.

After a while, Josie calmed again, and quietly asked Hope to stay. Hope agreed instantly and crawled into her bed. It was then that she realized who the voices belonged to. Penelope and Rebekah must have followed her after she darted from her room. They were both sitting on the Lizzie's bed. Josie was already cuddled into her chest and didn't realize they were there.

"Nightmare," she quietly explained. "She's okay now. You can go back to bed."

"Are you okay," Penelope asked.

Hope looked down at Josie, who's breathing had evened out. "I will be as long as she is."

Rebekah smiled softly at Hope. She stood and moved to Josie's bed. She stroked Josie's cheek lightly, then dropped a kiss on her niece's head. "I'm proud of you."

Hope smiled softly at her aunt, who turned and left with Penelope. Lizzie on the other hand was giving her a death glare. Hope chose to ignore her. She closed her eyes and focused on Josie. Having her cuddled in her arms was one of the best feeling she had ever had to pleasure of feeling.

She listened to Josie's even breaths and allowed it to lore her back to sleep.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope decided that the best thing in the whole damn world was waking up (fully clothed this time) in the arms of her girlfriend. She was warm and safe and knew that her mate was the same. Josie was cuddled into Hope's chest, breathing easily.

What wasn't so nice was waking up to a pair of eyes glaring at her.

Lizzie was sitting on her bed with a glare on her face. She didn't say anything when Hope gave her a questioning look. Instead she sat there glaring at her. It was making Hope uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Alaric chose that moment to barge into the room in a panic. He stopped briefly when he saw her cuddled up with his daughter but waved her off when she went to explain. "Later," he said. "We'll discuss this later. Right now, I need you in the dining hall."

She carefully slid out from beneath Josie, who was just starting to stir. "What's wrong?"

"Pixies," he roared, causing Josie to jump awake and nearly fall off her bed. She only managed to stay on thanks to Hope's quick reflexes.

"Dad," she groaned.

"Pixies? Like from Harry Potter?" Lizzie asked hopeful.

"Exactly like Harry Potter," he said. "Now come on. They're over taking the school."

Hope ran past Alaric, with Lizzie hot on her trail. They made it to the dining hall's upper landing just in time to see a group of multiple colored tiny pixies about the size of the average hand, raise a screaming Pedro up to the ceiling.

"Rigescunt indutae," Hope yelled, and all the Pixies froze in midair. Pedro on the other hand did not freeze. "Léviter," she yelled pointing at Pedro, who suddenly slowed to a near stop just above one of the tables. She slowly lowered him to the floor.

"Thanks," he said, looking up at them.

She held her hand out for Lizzie to take. Lizzie took the hand and siphoned some power from her. "Repeat after me, but make sure you're pointing at a Pixie. Your dad will be pissed if we blow the school up." She pointed at the nearest pixies and calmly said, "Praemium evanescet."

The pink pixie disappeared in a tiny explosion. Lizzie repeated what Hope had said and smiled when the green pixie she was pointing at disappeared. Then she looked at Hope sadly. "But it was cute."

"Tell that to Pedro who was second away from falling to his tiny little death," she snarked.

"True. I like Pedro," she said, then pointed at the nearest pixie and sent it off into the afterlife.

One by one they carefully disposed of each of the pixies in the dining room. Some of the witches in the room carefully copied them, helping to remove the dozens of colorful creatures.

"That's new," Lizzie said, once the last of the pixies was banished. "They've never attacked in a group before."

"The pixies aren't the monster," Hope said.

"How can you be sure?" Lizzie asked.

"Call it a hunch," she said. "We need to lock the school down, until we find it. If I'm right, pixies will keep coming."

"We need to teach the rest of the students that spell then," Lizzie said.

"Good idea," Hope said. She looked over the banister at the witches still congregated. She looked around for any signs of Josie or Alaric, but there were none. "We need to find Josie and your dad."

She didn't wait for Lizzie to respond before turning around and head back towards their dorms. They found Penelope fighting a group of Pixies who were attacking Rebekah. She was using a book to knock them out. Hope quickly froze them and taught Penelope the spells they used to take care of the dining hall.

"Have you seen Josie and Dr. Saltzman?" she asked, once the Pixies were taken care of.

"Yeah. They were heading to his office to safe guard the urn," Penelope replied.

"Okay," Hope said, then turned and went back the way she came, with Lizzie following right behind her. On the way they encountered the stray pixie here and there, which they easily took care of.

They found Alaric in his office with Josie. He was flipping through one of the books still littering his office. "Here… Here," he yelled triumphantly. "I knew I saw it."

He smiled widely at Hope and handed her the book, who read aloud, "Pixie Master. A demon with the ability to create Pixies from his own body. Kill the Pixie Master and all the pixies will die too. Sounds simple enough. We'll explode him from existence just like his pixies."

"We have to find him first," Lizzie said.

Josie picked up the urn off her dad's desk and smiled widely. She reached for Hope and quietly asked for some magic. Hope reached out so Josie could take some power. Once Josie was properly powered up again, she proudly said the spell Hope had taught her during a free period the morning before, "Locus silentium."

A blue barrier spread out from her feet around the room to the ceiling where it disappeared again. "Silencing spell," she explained to Lizzie and her father. "If it's here for the urn, then let's give it the urn. We can stash it in the old mill and wait for it to come for it."

"Lure it out," Hope summed up. "Perfect idea."

"Don't you think it's a little obvious though?" Lizzie pointed out.

Hope took the urn from Josie. "Maybe, but so far, where ever the key goes the monsters follow. They literally have one goal in life. Get this thing and they get their freedom."

"I'll take it out," Alaric said. "It won't suspect the human to put up much of a fight. You girl's split up. Hope and Josie follow me out, just make sure you aren't seen. Lizzie, you go find Penelope and Rebekah. Explain what's going on and help them to fend off the pixies."

Josie nodded her head and grabbed Hope's hand. She siphoned a little more power and then whispered the reversal spell. The blue shield dropped from the ceiling and disappeared into the floor. She then pulled Hope from the office and lead her back to her dorm room.

Hope watched as Josie went into her closet and dug through several boxes she had on the floor. She returned with two very large black robes. "You cannot tell anyone I have these. Especially Lizzie. I've been working on them for our birthday, but things have been so hectic I haven't had a chance to show her them yet. She'll be so mad if she finds out you got to try it out first."

"What is it?" Hope asked.

Josie handed one to her and then flung the other robe over her shoulders, pulling them closed. Her body disappeared leaving only her head exposed.

Hope's eyes went wide. "You made an invisibility cloak!?" she exclaimed. She took the robe in her hands and put it on and looked down at the body in shock. "How?"

"It wasn't easy," Josie said. "I've been working on it since I was six. I only recently managed to get the spell right. I had to be careful because I kept making them banishing cloaks instead of invisibility. I still have no idea where I banished the test subjects to. Then there was the year I kept making the cloaks invisible and kept losing them."

"This is incredible," Hope said in awe.

"Harry Potter is Lizzie's favorite books. I've made her dozens of magical Harry Potter inspired gifts."

Hope looked at Josie in awe. Josie may not have power of her own to use, but she sure did make up for it with her smarts. She leaned forward and captured Josie's lips in a kiss. "This is genius," she gushed.

"We better get going, before dad has to fight the pixie master by himself," Josie said.

They pulled the hoods over their heads and carefully made their way out of the school. It wasn't easy with every student in the hall ways fighting off the swarm of pixies. Once they reached the front door, they were able to move more easily.

When they reached the old mill, the pixie master, who was about Hope's height and balding, was encroaching on the building. They snuck in without him noticing and came in from behind Alaric. This way he didn't see them remove the cloaks.

Alaric sighed in relief when he saw them. "I forgot my crossbow," he cried in panic.

"Well it's a good thing we are the weapons," Hope said. She grabbed Josie's hand, who instantly began siphoning some of her magic.

It started slowly, with a single green pixie. Then another one, then a couple of blue, then several purple, until the entire structure was filled with little pixies.

"Shit," Hope said.

"Language," Alaric scolded.

"Now is not the time to be scolding me for my terminology," Hope growled. "You need to get out of here."

He gave her an insane look. "No."

"You're the one who forgot your crossbow," she yelled. She blew up two pink pixies who were going for Alaric. "Never mind," she said, and grabbed his hand, and pulled him from the building, with Josie following along behind them.

"Josie give me you hand," she said once they were a safe distance away. "Saepem incendio," she yelled. A see-through wall of fire rose up around them. The pixies that were had been following them crashed into the wall, incinerating on contact. She looked to Josie and said, "I'm happy that you knew this one, but we really need to talk about your prevalence to fire."

Josie blushed, but shrugged her shoulders with a little smile.

"What?" Alaric asked, not understanding what Hope had meant.

"We'll explain later," Hope said. "When we drop the wall, we're only going to have a small window to kill the master, before he sends another round of pixies at us. Dr. Saltzman stay behind us. I don't want to accidental blow you up."

Alaric gave her a frighten look and immediately moved behind them.

"Okay on the count of three, I'll drop the wall and you blow him up. Do you have the spell in your mind?"

"Yeah. That's weird," Josie commented.

"I know," Hope agreed.

"What's weird?" Alaric asked, from his place behind them.

"We'll explain later," they both said. They shared a look and then giggled. Alaric rolled his eyes at their ill-timed giggle fest but didn't comment. The girls gave each other a serious look, then turned to the wall of fire.

Hope lowered the wall of fire and a second later Josie was yelling, "Praemium evanescet," at the pixie master. He froze and grabbed his chest. Hope grabbed Josie's hand and said the incantation with her. Fire erupted from his eyes and mouth. They repeated the incantation a third time, and he exploded it a fire blast. Then just as quickly the fire was sucked into nothingness.

"Is he gone?" Alaric asked. He was looking at the spot where the pixie master had been standing unsurely. There wasn't even a speck of him left.

"Yeah," Hope said. "He's gone."

"Good. Now would be a good time for you to explain what is going on between you two," he declared, with a look on his face that emphasized his words. It was his 'dad' look.

Josie smiled awkwardly at him, then looked to Hope, who could feel how nervous Josie was. They hadn't really talked to Alaric or Caroline since the big reveal. They did know that they were seeing where thing took them, but they hadn't fully discussed what the bond meant for each of them. Yes, they were aware that Hope could feel what Josie was feeling, but they weren't aware that the link was also somewhat mental. It was hard to explain something that they haven't fully grasped either.

"I'm hungry," Hope declared as she looked at Josie. "What do you say we explain it over breakfast."

"Breakfast sounds good," Josie agreed. "What about you Dad? Are you hungry?"

"You're staling," he said suspiciously, as he glared back and forth at them.

"More like we don't want to explain it a bunch of times," Hope explained.

He eyed her wearily, then said, "Fine. I have to make sure the school is still standing, but after we'll have breakfast with Caroline."

"And Rebekah," Josie added, then looked to Hope, who almost immediately nodded and said, "That's fine. I should see if I can get my family on video chat, just so I don't have to explain it ten times."

"I'm not going to like whatever you have to tell us, am I?" Alaric groaned.

"Um… It's just weird," Josie said, and then grabbed Hope's hand and started to lead them back.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

An hour later, Hope and Josie were sitting at the head of the conference room's table together, uncomfortably looking at their families' reactions. Caroline and Alaric were sitting to the right of them, plate of untouched food in front of them, and with looks on their faces that neither girl could quite place. Rebekah was sitting to the left of them looking impressed, while sipping away at a mug of Hope's blood. Across from them was a monitor where the remaining of Hope's family were being display. Freya and Keelin were on the right, Kol and Davina were on the left and in a small box between them was Marcel.

"So, let me get this straight," Kol started. "I don't talk to you for two bloody weeks, and in those two bloody weeks you go and magically bind yourself to a witch. And why has no one bothered to let us in on what is going on?"

"I thought Aunt Freya was keeping you in the loop," Hope defended.

"Hey now. I've had a lot going on," Freya defended herself. "I was going to tell you when we knew for sure what was happening."

"You've known for days what's going on," Kol accused.

"Well I haven't seen you calling any of us," Rebekah spat.

"You know very well that I call regularly. Davina and I have been busy preparing for the baby. I rely on the two of you and the people who are supposed to be taking care of her to apprise me of any situation that arises with Hope in between then."

"And we have," Alaric said. "This is a new thing that we are all trying to grasp. Let's not start fighting over who's to blame."

Josie leaned over and rested her head on Hope's shoulder and watched in amusement as everyone started talking at once. Hope leaned her head and rested it on Josie's. "So, this is what I have to look forward to by becoming a Mikaelson," Josie chuckled lightly.

Hope smiled. "This is them on a good day. We are a very dysfunctional clan."

"I can handle dysfunctional," she said, then thought about Lizzie, who was the only person missing from their meeting. She was going to feel so left out. "I'm going to give Lizzie the cloak today," she said quietly. "I don't think she's handling us very well and could use a pick-me-up."

"Do you want me there? Maybe getting something she loves with me there will help soften her up a bit," Hope joked.

"No," she lifted her head and looked at Hope. "I have something I have to tell the both of you, that I don't think either of you will like," she mumbled.

"Well what is it?" Hope asked. She could feel the guilt Josie was feeling coming through their bond in waves.

"You don't already know?" she asked.

Hope shook her head.

"I thought maybe you did, because of the bond," Josie admitted.

"Maybe nothing personal will come through, just general knowledge," Hope remarked. "So far the only thing that has come through the bond from you is feelings, your extensive collection of fire spells, and something about a dog named Scooby Doo."

Josie blushed, "It's an old cartoon Lizzie and I love."

"Well then, I'll have to look it up," Hope smiled.

"Do you think we can control what goes through the bond?"

"Maybe," Hope said. "Think of something."

Josie thought for a moment than smiled. Hope smiled at her smile, but nothing seemed unusual in her mind. "What are you thinking about."

She leaned over and whispered into Hope's ear, "What it felt like when we kissed, and what it'll feel like to go further."

"Oh," Hoped blushed.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Rebekah asked suddenly, causing everyone to finally stop arguing over them, and turn to look at them.

Hope coughed, "We were just testing the bond out. Seeing what information we can share."

"And?" Freya asked.

"We can't hear each other's thoughts," Josie answered.

"But there is general knowledge coming through the bond. Simple stuff like spells we both know and tv shows apparently."

"But we can't send certain things through the bond."

"It's more like we just know things, when we need to know them most," Hope summed up. "Though I don't know why the bond would want me to know about Scooby Doo."

Caroline snorted.

"Mom," Josie said warningly.

"What? I didn't say a word," Caroline said, throwing her hands in the air.

Hope looked to Josie curiously. "What don't you want me to know?"

Josie blushed again. "I…" she coughed. "Scooby Doo was your code name… for when I wanted to talk about you… without Lizzie knowing."

"Um…"

"It was your necklace," Josie explained. "You always had it on, and I was obsessed with Scooby Doo, who wore a tag with a S on it, and I was seven. It made sense to me then."

"That's bloody adorable," Rebekah gushed. "You had a crush on Hope all the way back then. Maybe there's more to this bond than we realized."

"Auntie Bex," Hope whined. Then looked over at her girlfriend who was suddenly feeling very guilty again. "Did you have a crush on me?"

Josie bit her lip and nodded her head.

"But you…"

"Not now girls," Caroline said quietly. She understood this wasn't a conversation for them to have in front of their entire family. She turned back to the rest of the group. "So… Now that everyone is caught up on everything, do we have questions?"

"Just one," Davina said. "How is the bond completed."

Josie and Hope both blushed heavily at that question. Freya and Alaric both groaned, Keelin looked away, while everyone else, except Caroline, looked confused.

"Sex," Caroline says casually. She had come to terms with the fact that her daughters were at that age now. It had taken a couple of days, but she found peace with it. Well, she was able to put the idea into a neat little box and bury the ick factor away. "Speaking of which. Have you gotten the spell right to see if Hope can impregnant my daughter?"

As one Kol, Marcel, and Davina yelled, "What?" Then each began talking over each other, all the while Josie was looking at Hope with wide questioning eyes, and Hope looked like she was trying very hard to disappear.

After a few moments, a loud whistle sounded through the room, causing everyone with supernatural hearing to cringe. "To clarify," Alaric said calmly, though you could see on his face that he wished he was about to say anything else. "It was brought to question the possibility that Hope's tribrid genes might, and this is a very big might, be able to…" He cleared his throat. "Get a girl pregnant."

"This is actually a thing," Josie whispered.

Hope nodded her head lightly. "I was going to tell you once we knew for sure," she said.

Josie's mouth dropped open in shock. "Wow."

"Uh huh," Hope agreed.

"Everyone can relax," Freya said. "When Keelin and I return to the school, I will perform the spell. Then we'll know for certain that she is just a normal girl with a normal reproductive system. We are only contemplating the possibility because we'd rather be safe than sorry."

"Nothing about me is normal," Hope chuckled dryly.

"Well here's to hoping your lady bits are," Rebekah said, and held her mug up.

Hope groaned and covered her eyes with her hand. She was ready to get back to her normal life, whatever that may be. She looked over at Josie.

"Freya," Kol said gathering the room's attention. He looked very much like an uncle who wanted to change the subject. Fast. "I've heard of this Malivore before, while I was traveling through Africa. There was a small clan of witches who were being hunted by an agent of Malivore. I wrote down everything they taught me. It was centuries ago, but the book should still be in the Claire crypt."

"Uncle Kol," Hope groaned. "We've been looking for information for weeks, and you've had it this entire time."

"Well you bloody well didn't bother telling me where the creatures were coming from. I have a thousand years of information stored in up here. I needed a little more information than creatures that don't exist are attacking us because your bloody boyfriend stole a knife."

"He's not my…" Hope growled, then took a deep breath.

"I guess this'll teach ya to call me more often," Kol sniped playfully. "Davina will send some of her blood so you can get in the crypt, but don't go bloody stealing any of my dark objects."

"Wouldn't dream of it, baby brother," Freya quipped with a sweet smile.

"You better not," he insisted. "Hope darling. I'll call you tomorrow, and you can tell me all about the pretty girl sitting next to you. Josie, for better or worse, welcome to the family." Davina waved lightly at them then their screen went blank.

"Marcel," Alaric said, shifting the groups attention to him. "Any news yet?"

"No portal here, or at the last three places," he said. "I'm starting to think this is just a standard magical clean up crew, but I've only checked black out sites. I'm heading into an active site tonight. We'll know better then."

"Let us know first chance you get," Alaric said. "We're pretty sure we've found a place for the girls to put the key's magic."

"And I'm almost positive we've found a way to, not only close the Malivore portal, but destroy the hell dimension all together."

"What will happen to all the creatures stuck there?" Hope asked.

"They'll move on, hopefully to a peaceful place," Freya said.

"So, no more permanent death?" Josie inquired.

"They'll be able to move on to a better afterlife, but I can't say for sure if the creature's existence will return to the collective conscious. Perhaps it will, but since some of these creatures have been gone for centuries, it's likely there aren't many people still left behind to remember them."

"That's sad," lamented Josie.

"Just think of them finally being able to find peace," Hope said quietly to her. Josie smiled weakly.

"I'm going to go retrieve Kol's books and double check all our information. Once we know for sure there is only one portal, we can make plans to close it. Which sounds a lot easier than it is actually going to be. There is a small army of humans guarding the portal. We'll need a small army of our own."

"And we will," Hope declared.

"Hope…" Alaric began.

"No," Hope interrupted. "This started with us, so it's going to be finished with us."

"Hope," Freya said, gathering her niece's attention. "We'll discuss it when the time comes. For now, just go be a normal supernatural teen, and spend some time with your girlfriend."

Hope looked like she wanted to argue, which is exactly what she wanted to do, but she knew it was futile at that moment. Instead, she nodded her head and grabbed Josie's hand. "Fine."

She got up to leave pausing only to offer her hand to Josie who accepted it. They left together and made their way to Josie's room. Lizzie was in the room waiting, so Hope offered to give them a little time alone. She gave her a kiss on the lips, then reminded her to be ready at six for their date.

Josie smiled widely and said, "I'll be ready, monsters be damned."


	8. Big Date and Even Bigger Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. So, I'd just like to say thank you for all the reviews. I love hearing your thoughts on the story. This chapter's a bit longer than usual because I added the first scene in a few days ago. I original hadn't shown Josie telling Lizzie, but someone asked for it, and after I polled people, I decided it wouldn't hurt to add it. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

AN: Hey guys. So, I'd just like to say thank you for all the reviews. I love hearing your thoughts on the story. This chapter's a bit longer than usual because I added the first scene in a few days ago. I original hadn't shown Josie telling Lizzie, but someone asked for it, and after I polled people, I decided it wouldn't hurt to add it. I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 8: Big Date and Even Bigger Secrets

Lizzie was sitting at her desk writing in her journal when Josie returned from her super-secret meeting with Hope. She had been waiting for Josie to return for over an hour, ever since she caught Josie hiding something in her closet. She considered snooping around to see what it was but refrained. Instead, she had tried to focus on what she wanted to say to Josie. Normally, she would use a crystal Emma had that simulated conversations, but Emma was unavailable, leaving her to struggle with her thoughts.

She stood when Josie came through the door, noting that she seemed hesitant. Lizzie wondered if her feelings were manifesting themselves within her sister. She didn't think she was worrying that much. It typically took a lot for that to happen. Josie smiled at her, which put Lizzie's mind at ease.

"I have a present for you," Josie said happily.

Lizzie was sure she was about to learn what her sister was hiding in her closet. She was glad she chose not to snoop, because whatever it was, Josie seemed eager to share it with her.

Josie pulled out a medium sized box and set it on Lizzie's bed, then went to sit on her own. Lizzie eagerly went over to the box, and gently stroked the lid. "What's the occasion?"

"It's your birthday present," Josie smiled. "Things have been so busy around here, I haven't had a chance to give it to you."

Lizzie smiled happily as she gently lifted the lid. Inside was lavender fabric. She pulled it out and stared at it wonder. "You made me lavender Harry Potter robes?" she asked.

"Put it on," Josie insisted.

Lizzie threw the robes over her shoulders, then looked to Josie questioningly. "How do I look? She asked happily, not realizing what the robes were actually designed for.

"I think you're looking a little transparent," Josie giggled, then pointed down.

Lizzie looked down at what she believed were the robes, only to find the robes gone along with her body. She looked up at her sister with wide eyes. "You made me an invisibility cloak…"

Josie smiled widely at Lizzie. "I made us both one, so we can go anywhere in the school without people knowing it."

"This is amazing Jo," Lizzie said. Her head seamlessly floated through the air towards Josie. She pulled her off the bed into the tightest hug she could give her. "Thank you. This is the best gift you've ever given me."

"I hoped you would like it," Josie said.

Lizzie let her sister go and moved over to their mirror to get a good look at herself. It was strange to see only her head floating in midair. She smiled as she felt around for the hood, and pulled it over her head, making that disappear too. It was strange to be underneath the hood. She could see everything perfectly, but she could also feel the fabric gently rubbing against her skin.

"We can have so much fun with these," She declared as she moved around the room quietly. She carefully went behind Josie and quickly grabbed one of her pillows before Josie could notice it and flung it at her head. Josie turned to look at the blank space behind her in shock.

"That's not fair," she cried, then took the pillow that had hit her and flung in across the room. Lizzie caught it and flung it back at her with a chuckle. Josie caught the pillow but didn't toss it back. Instead she just stood there with a smile on her face, that Lizzie could have sworn looked a little sad.

She pulled the hood off her head. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Josie said, then flung the pillow back at her, hitting her in the face.

Lizzie tossed the smile on the bed, then pulled the robes off. "No. Something's wrong. What is it?"

"It can wait until later."

"No," Lizzie demanded. She carefully tucked her robes back into the box and sat on her bed across from Josie. "Whatever it is just say it."

Josie took a deep breath. "It's about Hope."

"Oh, well that's good then, because I have a few things of my own to say about her," Lizzie said. "As much fun as I regrettable say I had with her today, I think a few ground rules should be made. You may be able to ignore what she did, but I can't, and I really don't like having her around all the time."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," sighed Josie as she sat up straight. She took a deep breath. "I did something, something that you are going to hate me for."

"I could never hate you Josie," Lizzie chuckled dryly.

"You might, once you hear what I have to say," Josie demurred.

"Well, just tell me," Lizzie demanded lightly.

"It's about your first episode. The one that happened because of the fire in Hope's dorm room." Josie took another deep breath. "You were convinced Hope started the fire on purpose, but she didn't."

"How do you know that? Did she tell you that, because you may trust her, but I don't," Lizzie snarked.

"Hope didn't tell me anything, Lizzie, because she doesn't know," Josie replied. "She's not the one who started the fire, I am."

"What are you talking about?" Lizzie asked.

"I slipped a note underneath Hope's door, and I regretted it, but by the time I went back to get it, I couldn't get into her room. So, I did a fire spell underneath the door to burn the note, but it spread. Hope never meant to ruin our vacation."

Lizzie suddenly grew angry, not because her sister was the reason she missed out on a week alone with their parents, but because she knew where this was leading to. "So, she didn't start the fire, Josie. That doesn't absolve her for telling people about my episode," she growled.

Josie gave her a guilty look. "Your right, it doesn't absolve her of her guilt, but only because she was never guilty to begin with."

Confusion overwhelmed her. "What?"

"Hope never knew about your episode. In fact, she didn't even know you were bipolar until I told her a couple of weeks ago."

"But… but you told me…"

"I lied," Josie jumped in.

Lizzie felt like her mind had cracked open and leaked out every emotion in the spectrum into her body at once. It made her head fuzzy. She struggled to rein it all back in, to focus on just one emotion. "Why?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I… it's just… "Josie stammered, unsure of how to explain it. "All my life, whenever I liked someone, you would go after them and you would always win."

"You had a crush on Hope?"

"Yes… I was afraid that if you knew the truth, I would never have a shot with her, so when you noticed my obsession with Hope, I blurted out that she was telling everyone about your episode. I didn't mean for it to come out, but it did, and then I couldn't take it back."

"So, no one knew about me being bipolar? No one was talking about my episode?"

Josie looked down in shame. "No."

Lizzie was shocked by what her sister had said. And despite knowing Josie wasn't the type to maliciously do anything to hurt her, it still hurt like hell. It hurt that she had done this, and she was angry with her.

"I'm sorry," Josie cried, and reached for Lizzie's hand.

Lizzie pulled the her hand away and stood up. She walked over to her desk where her journal still laid open. She closed it and let out a heavy sigh. "I know you are. I... I just need some time to process this." She picked the journal up and grabbed one of her pens and then left without another word.

Lizzie went out to the old mill, the only place in the school she was guaranteed to be left alone. she thought over every thing Josie had told her, and tried to write out her feelings p, just like Emma had taught her. There was a storm raging in her chest, and despite knowing Josie didn't mean to hurt her, she wasn't ready to forgive her just yet. She wanted to talk with Emma first, maybe even practice talking with Josie. So after an hour or so of just staring out into the forest, she headed back to the school to work through her emotions and thoughts through in a healthy way.

The first thing she did when she got back to the school was to send a note to Josie. She may be angry with her sister for what she did, but that didn't mean she had to suffer while she worked through everything. Emma was kind enough to help her with it, so she didn't come off sounding too strong. "I don't hate you, but I am angry and need time to process. Enjoy your date with Hope."

After the note was magically sent, she and Emma talked about what Josie told her, and the implications of that single lie. They talked about all the times she could remember feeling paranoid about people talking about her, how she reacted to it, how she could have handled the situation better. They talked about all the emotions she was feeling, and if she could forgive Josie. They talked about the Hope of it all. How she was feeling now that she knew Hope had never said anything mean about her. If knowing this made her feel differently towards her? If she could move past it and extend an olive branch to her?"

They talked for hours and by the time she headed back to her dorm room, she was feeling considerably better about the whole situation. Still, she had much to work through, and wasn't quite ready to forgive Josie.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Josie was standing right behind her door, nervously waiting for Hope to pick her up for their date. Hope hadn't told her here they were going so she opted for something simple yet still pretty. She opted for a baby blue dress that flowed down past her knees, with a matching sweater over the dress's spaghetti straps.

At exactly six o'clock, Hope knocked on her door. She took a deep breath and exhaled before opening it up. She was glad she did because Hope took her breath away. She wasn't wearing anything fancy, but boy did she look stunning. She was dressed in a flowing black, lowcut dress, that went all to way down to her feet.

"Wow," she gushed. "You look amazing."

Hope smiled. "So, do you." She stepped closer to Josie and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Stunning."

"That's what I was going to say to you," Josie replied.

"Well it's not every day we get to dress up, so I figured I would break out one of the dresses Auntie Bex is always sending me."

"Remind me to thank Auntie Bex," Josie said absentmindedly.

"Did you hear that," Hope called out, then looked to her right with a smile on her face. Josie peeked her head out the door and looked where Hope was. Sticking their heads around the corner were Rebekah and Penelope. Both of whom were giggling like school children.

"No. Make her say it again," Rebekah said playfully.

"No. Now go away," Hope shooed.

"We want to see Josie first," Penelope said.

Hope looked back at Josie and offered her hand to her. Josie accepted her hand and giggled as Hope pulled her out of her room and twirled her around.

"You do look amazing," Hope gushed happily. "We should go. Our chariot awaits."

"Okay, just let me get my purse," Josie said, then ducked back in her room to grab her purse off her desk. She locked the door behind her and wrapped her arm around the arm Hope had waiting for her.

"So where are we going?" Josie asked eagerly.

"We are going into town to have dinner and see a movie," beamed Hope. "I know it's not anything fancy, but I figured you would enjoy getting away from the school for the night."

"I love it Hope," Josie smiled.

"Good." Hope opened the front door for her and then followed her out.

Caroline was standing next to her Dad's SUV. "Wow. You girl's look amazing."

"Thanks, Mom," Josie said.

"Thank you," Hope replied, then leaned close to Josie and whispered, "I hope you don't mind. Your Mom offered."

"No. I don't," Josie said. She went to the SUV and opened the door for Hope, who got in with a smile, then slid to the center to allow Josie to slid in.

"Ready?" Caroline asked with a smile.

"Yeah," they said as one. The short ride into town was silent. It was a little awkward having her mom as her chauffeur, but not unbearable. Hope seemed happy just cuddling together in silence, so she didn't see the need to break it up with small chit-chat.

Caroline dropped them off at the Mystic Grill and handed them the school's phone. "Call when the movie's over, and I'll come get you."

She took the phone and slipped it into her purse. They got out and watched as Caroline drove away.

"I'm sorry we couldn't go somewhere fancier," Hope said as they entered the building. "I tried getting us into the Tamara's, but they have a month-long reservation wait."

"It's okay, Hope," Josie smiled. "I love this place. They have the best milkshakes."

Hope smiled. "Good," she said, and then led her to a table in the back. The waiter came by and they both ordered milkshakes. Josie ordered a mint with extra whip cream and Hope ordered a peanut butter blast, with the whip cream on the bottom. The waiter gave her a funny look but didn't comment.

"How was your day? Did you give Lizzie the cloak?"

"I did. She was ecstatic," Josie said with a smile.

"And how are you, with what you learned today?" Hope asked.

"Not gonna lie, it was a bit shocking learning I might become pregnant when we have sex, but it is kind of cool, when you think about. I'd like to have a baby one day. It'd be cool if the baby could have both our DNA. But even if you're just a normal girl, that's cool too."

"I'd like to have a baby too someday," Hope admitted shyly. "Way, way down the road though. When we're not still in school and aren't fighting monsters every day."

"A stable life would be nice," Josie agreed.

"So, if your sister is happy with your gift and you aren't freaked out by my tribrid DNA, then why have you been feeling so scared and guilty all day?" Hope asked casually.

The waiter returned with their milkshakes and took their dinner order, then disappeared again.

Josie's heartrate picked up and she was sure Hope could feel it through the bond. It was strange for her, knowing that someone else could feel what she felt. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to get used to it.

Hope leaned forward and placed her hand over Josie's. "It's okay. Whatever is wrong, we can deal with it together."

"It's not something we can deal with, Hope," she said softly, though she knew Hope could still hear her despite how loud it was around them. "I have to tell you something."

"Okay," Hope said. "Whatever it is, can't be all that bad."

"Yeah it can be," Josie sighed. "I have to tell you something. I did something. I did something that you're not going to like." She paused and took a deep breath. "Do you remember that fire in your dorm room three years ago?"

"Yeah. How could I forget? I lost half my stuff in that fire, including the only painting I did with my dad."

Josie's guilt doubled at hearing that. "I was the one who started the fire," she said quietly.

Hope gasped softly and took her hand away. "W-what? Why?"

"I had a crush on you," Josie said. "I slipped a note under your door that morning, and almost immediately regretted it, but I couldn't get it by that point. So, I did a fire spell under your door. I really was only aiming for the note."

Hope sat quietly, unable to sift through her own feeling from the strong ones Josie was sending through the bond.

"There's more," Josie admitted. "Lizzie had an episode right after that. Dad had to cancel our trip to deal with the damages and she was upset. It was the first time she'd had an occurrence. When she got back, she made a comment about me being obsessed with you. I didn't want her to do what she always did when I had a crush on someone, so I blurted out, 'how could I like someone who said such mean things about my twin'."

"But I never…"

"I know," Josie interrupted.

"Your sister thinks I started rumors about her mental health. That's why she was so mean to me. That's why she hates me."

Josie nodded her head.

"Does she know the truth?" Hope asked.

Josie nodded her head again. "I told her today. Right after I gave her the invisibility cloak. She hasn't really spoken to me since."

"It's a lot to take in Josie," Hope said.

"I know," Josie agreed sadly.

The waiter brought over their food, halting their conversation briefly while he set their plates down. He asked if they were good, then left when Hope said, "Yeah."

"I forgive you," Hope said, shocking Josie. Hope smiled at her. "I'm also not going to hold it against you. You did a stupid, impulsive thing when you were thirteen. I've done far worse."

"I doubt that," Josie said, then felt an overwhelming sadness hit her like a ton of bricks. She raised her hand up to her chest and tried to rub away the feelings.

"I have," Hope insisted. "And I will tell you all about it, just not right now. Right now, I just want to enjoy my time with you." She reached across the table with a soft smile on her face. "Thank you for being honest with me."

Josie sighed in relief, both because the emotions coming through the bond lessened dramatically and because she was relieved Hope wasn't mad at her. "Thank you for not hating me."

Hope chuckled lightly. "I don't think anyone could ever hate you."

"Lizzie does," Josie admitted sadly.

"I highly doubt that," Hope said. "She just needs time to process, but I have complete faith that she will come around. Like I said, nobody could ever hate you."

Josie smiled, and looked down at her veggie burger. It felt funny to be eating such a simplistic meal while in a dress, but she didn't really care. Mystic Grill was the only place that made them in the area, and they were so good.

"Do you feel better now?" Hope asked after taking a bit of her own hamburger (full meat to satisfy the wolf in her).

"You know I do," Josie said, hinting at the bond.

"I may be able to feel your emotions, but I can't hear your thoughts," Hope pointed out.

"Yeah," Josie said. "Do you think that will change once we complete the bond?"

"I don't know. Maybe," Hope said. "How are you handling all this?"

"It's strange. That's for sure, but at the same time it feels right. Like it was always meant to be like this," Josie tried to explain.

"It's not just me then," Hope commented.

"No, it's not just you. The more I'm around you, the stronger it grows, the more at ease I feel. At first, I was really scared about what was happening. I was afraid that it was just the bond creating the feelings between us but as I've been reminded, I have had a crush on you since I was seven. The feelings were already there before the bond."

"We'll you're more in tune to your feelings than I am. I'm still trying to figure out exactly when my feelings for you became romantic. Maybe I have always felt like this, or it could just be a more recent development. Either way, they're real, and strange, and exciting."

"I know what you mean," Josie said shyly.

"They're scary too," Hope admitted quietly as she picked at her fries. "People I care about have a tendency to leave me."

Josie reached for Hope's hand again. "I'm here. I care about you and even if we decide to separate, I'll still be here as your friend, no matter what. I like having you in my life. You make me happy."

Hope squeezed Josie's hand. "You make me happy too."

"Good. So, it's settled then. Our feelings are real and we're always going to be here, no matter what happens."

Hope smiled at her enthusiasm and Josie felt the ease of mind that washed over her through their bond, which made her feel more at ease as well. When she decided she was going to tell Hope the truth, she had been terrified that she would hate her. Especially after Lizzie's not so stellar response, or lack thereof. She could relax now that everything was out in the open and go about enjoying their date.

They talked about what they planned to do over spring break. Penelope was heading home to visit her family, and MG had created this whole 'Spring Break Extravaganza' for those who either had no home to go back to or just didn't want to. Which meant they had an entire week to do whatever they wanted, providing no monsters attacked and their families didn't decide to do any last-minute plans.

An entire week alone sounded amazing.

After diner they head over to the town's small theater, where they did not watch the movie. In true teenage fashion, they spent the movie's entire two hours and sixteen minutes making out it the back row. Thankfully, there weren't many people in the theater with them, allowing them the freedom to let wandering hands roam a little.

Although, Hope had the better advantage, seeing as Josie's dress only went down to knee's, while hers was a full length. At one-point Josie got frustrated with the lack of skin contact and whispered a spell that split Hope's dress at the seem to her mid-thigh. Josie kissed her franticly while promising to fix it later between kisses. Hope chuckled at Josie's enthusiasm, then stifled a moan when Josie's hand touched her bare skinned thigh.

After the movie was over, they called Caroline to come pick them up, then head to the bathroom to freshen up. They giggled as they wiped smudged lipstick from each other lips. When they reached the car, even Caroline couldn't tell that they had just spent two hours making out.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope quietly opened her door after dropping Josie off at her dorm. It was still early by her aunt's standards, but on the off chance she had gone to bed early, she snuck in silently.

"Why are you sneaking into your own dorm room?" Penelope asked. She was sitting on Rebekah's bed next to her aunt, already in her pajamas.

"Don't you have your own dorm room to sleep in?" Hope asked playfully.

"Yeah, but my roommate's a drag. Yours is awesome," Penelope grinned.

"Why thank you," Rebekah gushed dramatically.

Hope shook her head at them with a smile on her face. She tossed her purse on her bed and went to the closet so she could hang her dress up. She looked down at the ripped seam with a chuckle, then pulled the dress over her head leaving her in just her bra and panties.

"What happen to your dress?" Rebekah asked as she crawled off her bed. She took the dress out of Hope's hands and inspected it carefully.

Penelope full out laughed when she saw the dress. "Josie happened."

Hope and Rebekah looked at Penelope questioning.

"I guess I should have warned you," Penelope chuckled. "Josie's… How can I put this nicely? Impatient. If something's in her way she will remove it the quickest way she can."

Hope looked at the dress and smiled as she remembered just how it became like that. "I would go with eager."

"Did she siphon from you while you were making out?"

"Yeah."

"Headrush, right," Penelope said.

"Major headrush," Hope smiled goofily.

"That's all nice, but what about the dress?" Rebekah insisted.

"Honestly Auntie Bex, you'd think you never ruined a dress," Hope jested.

"Not on purpose," Rebekah pouted.

Hope chuckled at her, "Josie promised to fix it."

"Good. Right she should."

Penelope laughed again. "Get used to it. Josie's adept at magically removing clothing. Not everything is fixable."

A sudden feeling washed over Hope as though someone had just dumped a bucket of water over her head. "I'm getting the feeling she's adept at more than just magically removing clothing." She moved to the bench at the foot end of her bed, still in just her bra and panties, as uncertainty washed over her. She looked up at Penelope with a horrified look on her face. "What if I'm horrible at it?"

Penelope rolled her eyes and then got up. She went to Hope's pajama draw and pulled out a shirt and pants. She handed them to Hope and sat down next to her. "Honestly, very few people are perfect at it at first."

"She's right," Rebekah chimed in from the closet. She popped out and went to sit on her bed.

"See," Penelope nodded. "Everyone is different and what make them swoon is different. Part of the fun is learning each other's happy spots. I've had two lovers, Josie and a girl before I came to school. Josie was completely different than Wendy."

"I've had dozens of lovers," Rebekah said. "Some of them I loved, but some were just there when I needed someone. The best ones were the ones I loved. We could take the time to explore each other. Sex is always better with an emotional connection."

"Yeah it is," Penelope said sadly. "You have one advantage the rest of us don't. You are literally emotionally connected to Josie. That and she is very vocal about what she wants."

"But…" Hope cleared her throat awkwardly. "What if I…"

"Can't what dear?" Rebekah pressed gently.

Hope mumbled something so quietly that Penelope couldn't understand. Rebekah on the other hand laughed lightly. Penelope looked at her questioningly.

"She worried about going down on her," Rebekah explained lightly.

"Oh… Yeah, that might be a problem. JoJo loved it when I went low," Penelope noted.

Hope looked at her in horror.

"Relax," Penelope soothed. She rubbed her back comfortingly. "I was just messing with you. JoJo will understand if you're hesitant. She was at first, and she's not the type to shame you for what you do or don't like, or pressure you. It's just not in her nature."

Hope felt a little better. Enough to relax at least. She stood and put on the clothing Penelope got for her. She tossed her bra across the room and then crawled into her bed. Penelope crawled in next to her.

"I swear if you throw me out of bed again, I will never sleep over again," Penelope grumbled as she got comfortable.

Hope laughed at her, and just to prove her wrong, she gave her a good nudge off the bed. Penelope groaned then looked over the bed. "Porro propellere," she whispered, and Hope felt herself being magically pushed off the bed. She landed, on her back hard enough to knock the wind out of her. When she regained her breath again, she started laughing. The kind of laughter that over takes all your sense and just makes you happy no matter what you were feeling before you started laughing.

She stood up and grabbed her pillow and thrust it at Penelope, who caught it and threw it back, laughing just as freely. She grabbed the pillow she always used and leaped on the bed. Before Hope knew what was happening, the pillow was being whipped at her, hitting her dead in the face. She looked up at Penelope in shock. She grabbed Penelope's ankle, and pulled her (safely) down on the bed, then took her own pillow and hit Penelope in the face.

Meanwhile, Rebekah sat on her be with her cell phone in hand recording the who ordeal, happier then she'd been in a long while. She was glad she was able to see this side of Hope, and even happier that Hope had found a friend. Since Niklaus's death she'd been worried about Hope. Worried that she was never going to be able to move past what happened to her parents. Now she could relax a little.

Hope was going to be just fine.

She recorded them until they realized what she was doing and decided to double team her, which she happily joined in on. Later, after the girls were tucked back in bed sound asleep, she sent the video to her sibling and husband.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

The next morning, Hope got up early with Penelope to help her pack for her trip home. It was sad for both of them. They had gotten so close so fast and this was the first time she was going to be spending time away from her since they became friends. A whole week without her. Sure, she was going to spend every possible moment with Josie, but she was still sad that her friend wasn't going to be there.

Penelope's parents picked her up just before lunch time, leaving Hope a little time alone before she was supposed to meet up with Josie. Rebekah was off somewhere with Caroline, preparing the site where Josie and Lizzie were transferring the magic to. The full moon was that night, so they were going to transfer the magic at the moon's apex, binding the magic there forever. Only another siphoner would be able to remove it.

Hope decided to use the free time she had to catch up of some school work she'd been neglecting. With everything going on, she had pushed a project or two to the side. They weren't late by any means, but they still weren't going to be her very best either.

Josie came by around three. Hope happily abandoned her project, and cuddled up with her to watch a movie, which they actually watched. Well, mostly. There were a few minutes somewhere in the middle when they got a little distracted. Rebekah just had to walk in on them when Josie's hand was traveling up Hope's shirt. They broke a part quickly and resumed watching the movie as though they hadn't been fooling around.

Josie left after the movie was over to prepare for the spell with Lizzie, leaving Hope alone with Rebekah, who not so subtly reminded her that she was not allowed, under any circumstances, to have sex with Josie until Freya performed the spell to make sure her tribrid genes made the impossible, possible. She then smirked and told her after which she could have all the sex she wanted, even if she didn't go low. Hope groaned at the last bit and rolled over and buried her head in her pillows. She yelled for Rebekah to go away, who chuckled at her.

A little after dinner, she met up with Josie and Lizzie in the entrance hall with a sword in one hand and a duffle bag in the other. "Your dad's cross bow and some other weapons," she answered their questioning looks. "Just in case."

Caroline, Alaric, and Rebekah showed up a few minutes later, and they all shuffled into one of the school's vans. The ride to the site where the twins were transferring the magic was short. They could have just walked, but Alaric was being overly cautious.

Hope looked around, but all she saw were old headstones and trees. "Where is it?"

"Down here," Alaric said, then started disappearing into the ground. Hope went over to where he had just been standing and looked down into the hole. There was a set of stairs leading into the ground.

She took Josie's hand and helped her down the narrow crumbling stone steps, into a small cavern, with a large hole in the wall. There were lights already set up for them to see. "This is the tomb under the church, right? The one where all those vampires were trapped for a hundred years."

"The one in the same," Caroline said coming up behind them. "The twins are going to take the magic out of the urn and put it into tomb. Then Bonnie is going to walk you all through putting the spell that trapped the vampires in back up, with a few alterations. She and Freya are almost certain they've managed to alter it to trap all magical beings. That way if someone should manage to get the key's magic, they can never leave."

"And you're sure it'll be enough?" Hope asked.

Alaric walked out of the tomb. "Yeah. We considered the using the Armory, but there are too many variables there. The tomb should work nicely."

"The let's get this show on the road," Lizzie said.

"Okay," Alaric said clapping his hands together. "There is two ways into the tomb. Here and the old tunnels that lead to the Armory. We've bricked the tunnel entrance, but we need you Hope to seal it. Then the girls are going to do their thing, then the three of you are going to seal the tomb with the trapping spell. Then hopefully we won't have to worry about monsters attacking us anymore."

"Yeah because they are all going to get trapped in there," Josie said sadly.

Hope rubbed Josie's arm gently. "Don't worry. Once Malivore is gone for good, we'll free the monsters."

"Promise," Josie pouted.

"I promise."

Josie leaned down for a chaste kiss, causing Hope to smile, Lizzie to fake gag, and Alaric to turn away and cough loudly. "Geeze," Josie giggled at her father's reaction. "You'd think I just undressed you or something."

"Please let's just do this," Alaric said.

Hope nodded her head and stepped into the tomb. She quietly looked over the spell, Alaric gave her. Then proceeded to cast the complex spell. She finished just in time for the twins to start their spell. She watched with curiosity as they performed a similar spell to the one, they used to remove the Hallow from her.

After a few minutes she stepped out of the tomb. Watching them pull the magic out of the urn reminded her of one of the worst times in her life. It was still a struggle to accept that her father would have done anything for her. She wanted to make the best of the life he gave her, but it still hurt. There were times where she wished they had never removed the dark magic from her.

She went up to the surface where her aunt was keeping watch just in case anything decided to attack them. Rebekah smiled when she saw Hope walking towards her but stumbled slightly when Hope wrapped her arms around her. It wasn't often that Hope sought her out for comfort. That was more Freya's roll than hers. A product of not being able to be in the same place with her for most of her life. Still, she relaxed and pulled Hope as close as she could, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

Hope would have stayed in her aunts comforting arms longer, but they heard something approaching them. They both turned to where they heard the crunching of twigs and dried leaves but saw nothing. The sound of crunching leaves grew closer, but still neither saw anything.

Hope grabbed the bag at Rebekah's feet and pulled out Alaric's cross bow. She aimed it and listened closely. She turned around and fired. A few seconds later the arrow stopped midair.

"What the fuck?" Rebekah asked. Then got a good glimpse of a furry human looking beast.

"It looks like the beast from that fairy tale you used to read to me," Hope said. The beast pulled the arrow out of his chest and threw the arrow back with more speed and accuracy than a human being could.

Rebekah dodged the arrow and then looked at Hope in surprise. "That's new."

"Welcome to my current reality," Hope said as she reloaded the crossbow. She raised it up again and fired it again, hitting it in the neck this time, but he just pulled it out and tossed it back like it was nothing more than a nuisance. She tossed the crossbow at Rebekah and then charged at the monster. She landed on it, digging her claws into his shoulders, and then sunk her extended teeth into the first spot she could reach. She tore a chunk of his shoulder off, causing him to roar in pain, and attempt to fling her off. She sunk her claws into his shoulders deeper and sunk her teeth into his neck. He tried to fling her off again, with no avail. She tore away the chuck of flesh in her month, then jump away form him as he went crashing to the ground.

She stood over the dead body surveying the damage she caused. Then quietly said, "Incendia." She waited a few minutes to allow the body time to burn then perform a water spell she knew. The last thing they needed to deal with was a forest fire.

Rebekah stepped up behind her and handed her a rag so she could clean the blood of her face. "Do you do that often?"

"Kill monsters? Lately, yeah."

"No… Use your teeth," Rebekah elaborated.

"Oh… No… This was the first time."

"Are you okay?"

Hope smiled weakly. "Yeah, Auntie Bex. I'm fine. Here, I'm going to go see how far along they are." She didn't wait for her aunt to respond before calmly walking away. That was the first time she had killed like that in front of her aunt. She could understand why Rebekah might be a little worried. She just didn't want to feel any more like a monster than she already did at that moment.

Josie was coming out of the tomb when Hope reached the bottom of the steps. "Hey. Is everything alright? You disappeared on me."

Hope smiled weakly. "Yeah. Just remembering things I don't want to."

Josie gave Hope a worried look, then realized what she was talking about. "Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't think about that. Are you okay?"

"I promise I am fine," Hope smiled.

Josie leaned down to give Hope a kiss, but Hope stopped her causing Josie to give her a hurt look. "We were attacked. I have the taste of blood in my mouth."

"Oh…" Josie smiled softly at her girlfriend's consideration. "That's sweet of you to care about my feelings, but we've talked about this. I'm perfectly fine with whatever part of you I get. Even if you have to taste blood in order to kiss you."

"Um… Eww…" Lizzie grimaced. Both her parents were standing behind her, wearing two very different looks. Caroline looked very proud, while Alaric looked worried and hurt. Neither said anything about it though.

Caroline got on the phone and a few seconds later Bonnie Bennet appeared next to Hope.

"Hi girls," She chirped.

"Hi Aunt Bonnie," the twins said in unison.

Bonnie looked at Hope wearily, which she didn't blame her. Her father did technically her best friend. She'd met Bonnie several times over the years when she came to visit Caroline and when she taught a few classes every now and again. The weary look never went away.

"Hello again," Hope said.

"Hello Hope," Bonnie replied softly, then went about teaching them the spell they needed to perform. She walked them through it step by step then watch carefully as they performed the spell using the power of the full moon to bind it, adding in several precautions to make sure nobody but them would be able to drop the spell.

"Can we relax now?" Hope asked as they made their way back to the surface.

"Hopefully this will give us a bit of a break," Alaric agreed.

"Then we can actually enjoy our spring break without monsters attacking," Josie said. She wrapped her arm around Hope's shoulders as they made their way back to the van, pulling her close. She couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. The official start to their spring break.


	9. Let's Talk About Sex, Baby

Chapter 9: Let's Talk About Sex, Baby

Josie was lying next to Hope on her girlfriend's bed cuddled into her side. There was a movie playing on the television, but Hope's attention was elsewhere. Though it wasn't where Josie wished it would be. In her hands was the book that held the answers to Hope's werewolf woes.

"I thought you couldn't read it?" Josie asked quietly.

"I can't," Hope said.

"Then why are you looking at it like you can?" Josie asked.

Hope sighed and the closed the book and laid it next to her. "I guess I keep hoping it will start making sense. I do know a little French, but not enough to make head or tails of it. Penelope said she was going to translate it for me, but she never got around to it."

"Well here. Let me see it," Josie said.

"You can read French?" Hope asked as she handed the book to Josie.

"Yes," Josie said. She opened the book to the spot Hope had marked. "And Latin and Spanish."

"Wow," Hope said impressed.

Josie rolled onto her back and Hope rolled with her. She laid her head above her chest and draped her arm over her waist. She listened closely as Josie translated the French words, her soft tone luring Hope into a peaceful relaxed state. Her voiced wavier when she reached the ritual to complete the bond.

Hope looked up when Josie stopped reading aloud. "What is it?"

"Oh… um…" Josie stumbled, then cleared her throat. "The ritual is just very precise. I have to bite you as you…" She paused. "As you orgasm and stay there until after I've orgasmed."

"Oh…" Hope said. "Is that… I mean… I've never…"

Josie looked at Hope unsurely.

Hope sat up and faced away from Josie. Despite not being able to see her face, the emotions flowing through their bond told her everything she needed to know. Hope was scared and embarrised.

She set the book down on the bed and rolled onto her side. She reached across the bed and gently rubbed Hope's lower back. "Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it."

Hope sighed heavily. "It's just I've never done this before."

"Done what?" Josie asked, not grasping what Hope was talking about. Then, as though a light bulb went off in her head, she understood. "Oh, you're a virgin."

Hope nodded her head lightly, then turned to face Josie. "I understand the logistics of having sex with a girl, but…"

"But?"

"But you have more experience," Hope said.

"I do," Josie said. "But I would never pressure you into something you're not ready for."

Hope smiled softly. "That's what Penelope said."

"You talked about this with Penelope?"

Hope nodded her head. "And Aunt Rebekah. Is that okay?"

Josie took Hope's hand. "Of course, it is." She rolled back over and patted the bed beside her. "Come here."

Hope reclaimed her position cuddled up to Josie.

"Sex is amazing, but it's also scary. I was scared the first few times Pen and I did it, and that was okay. I was afraid I wasn't going to like certain things, but I did. I read a lot about it on the internet, but nothing really prepared me for it. We talked about it a lot. About what we liked and didn't like, or what we wanted to try. Talking helped, but in the end. it was just going with the flow and doing what we were comfortable with."

Hope started drawing circles on Josie's abdomen, which kick started her libido, not that she was going to tell Hope that. She was afraid she would stop if she did, and she liked the feeling. "I'm afraid that I won't like it."

"I was too," Josie admitted. "It's a rational fear."

"But you do like it." Hope's figures stopped. "I mean you did like Pen going down on you."

Josie grasped Hope's hand. "Yeah. I did, but if you don't like it, then I'm not going to pressure you into doing it."

"What if I can't give you an orgasm?" Hope asked.

"Then you can't," Josie said. "I was terrified the first time I went low, and I didn't make Pen climax. It took a few tries before that happened. We had a lot of fun trying though."

Josie felt Hope relax, both physically and emotionally. Hope moved her hand up and rested it between her breasts. She siphoned a little magic from Hope and summoned the Harry Potter book she had in her bag. She opened the book to where they had left off, and quietly read to her. It wasn't long until she felt Hope fall asleep. She laid the book on the bed and closed her eyes, letting the soft sounds of Hope's breathing lure her into sleep as well.

An hour later, Rebekah returned to the room to get Hope, because they were planning on checking out the tomb, and found them sleeping adorably together. She pulled her phone out and snapped a few pictures, then left them alone again. She headed back to Alaric's office to show him and Caroline the pictures.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Josie woke to find Hope missing from the bed, and the spot where she had been laying was cold. She opened her eye's groggily and searched around for her. There was a tray of food sitting on the edge of the bed, still steaming. A smile graced her lips when she found Hope standing at her easel painting.

She sat up, which alerted Hope to her awaken state. She smiled widely at her, then went back to her painting. "You looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake you." She looked over at her again. "I'd like to take credit for the food, but it wasn't me. Lizzie stopped by a few minutes ago with the tray. She says it's all of your favorites. She had the cooks make it special for you."

Josie smiled widely. "I guess that means she forgives me then."

"Did you really think she wouldn't?"

"I hoped she would, but there was a part of me that thought she might not," she admitted.

Hope put her brush down and moved to sit on the bed. She gently took Josie's hand, and quietly waited for Josie to continue.

Josie smiled at Hope as she felt soft reassurance flow through the bond. She knew instantly that Hope wouldn't judge her for what she was feeling, nor what she had done to Lizzie. That made her feel so much better about the situation, even if she wasn't ready to forgive herself yet.

"Paranoid delusions are a part of Lizzie's disorder. When she's manic or depressed it's hard for her to see what is real. I only made it worse for her. She had barely been out of the hospital a few days when I made that stupid comment about you spreading her condition around, and she believed me. She went around school for the last three years thinking everyone was making fun of her because she was bipolar, thinking they were talking behind her back. I planted the seed to her biggest delusion. She put up this front after that, making sure everyone saw her the way she wanted them to see her. In a way, I don't feel like I should be forgiven… by either of you."

"But you are," Hope reassured her. "You can't change the past, but you can do better in the future."

"That's very wise," Josie observed.

"Something Emma been trying to get me to accept. I don't think I really believed it until just now. I haven't always made the best choices in the past either. We all make mistakes. I think that's a part of growing up, but so is forgiveness."

"Is this about the death spell you almost used on Landon?" Josie asked.

"No, but that wasn't one of my finer moments either," Hope chuckled likely. "No, this is about my mom, and how I'm responsible for her death."

"Dad never told us what happened."

"She sacrificed herself to save me, just like my dad did."

"Hope, that's not your fault. Your parents did what every parent would do," Josue insisted.

Hope looked up at Josie with tears welling in her eyes. "Most parents aren't kidnapped by their children to lure the other parent back home."

A surprised look crossed her features, but she quickly changed that. She didn't want home to get the wrong impression.

"I had Henry, a wolf I turned into a hybrid, kidnap her and I cloaked her in a sleeping spell. It was just supposed to be until my dad came home." She paused as she tried to keep the tears welling in her eyes from falling. "I missed him so much, and I knew it would take something big like that to get him to come home. Roman showed up on his Nazi mother's orders and got her location out of me. Then she was kidnapped her for real. If I hadn't abducted her, then she would be fine right now. She would be alive and so would my dad and uncle. They are all dead because of one stupid mistake."

The damn of tears broke with a sob. Josie pulled Hope close, who allowed herself to fall into Josie's embrace. The pride and love she had been feeling because of Hope's honesty and trust, was washed away by the heartbroken, gut wrenching feelings that tore through their bond. It was overwhelming, but still she stayed, holding Hope as tightly as she could.

She leaned down and kissed the top of Hope's head tenderly, as she pushed back Hope's overwhelming feelings with as much hope and love as she could muster. She found it easy to draw on those feeling with each tender kiss she planted on Hope's head, until soon she heard Hope's sobs ease into soft whimpers, then into soft sniffles, until she was just leaning into Josie for the warmth she provided.

When Hope sat back up, she wiped away the stray tears with not an ounce of shame. For the first time in her life, she felt at ease with someone outside of her family see her break down. She knew what it meant; she could feel it deep in her soul. The love that was building for Josie, and she knew Josie could feel it too. Neither were ready to admit it yet. Perhaps out of fear it was simple the bond planting those feelings within them, or perhaps it was because it was still so early in their relationship.

Hope didn't say a word to Josie after that, but she could feel everything Hope was. Somehow, she just knew what Hope needed without her saying anything. She leaned forward and gave Hope a tender kiss, then pulled the tray of food closer to them. They ate in silence, then Josie laid back down allowing Hope to resume her painting. She picked up the Harry Potter book and picked up were they had left off.

They spent the rest of the evening like that. With Hope painting Josie as she read to her. It was so simple, but with how hectic their lives had been, it was an evening both women cherished.

Josie left just before curfew, leaving Hope alone with her Auntie Bex for the first time since she arrived. When she entered her room, she was surprised to find Lizzie had already gone to bed. She had expected Lizzie to be waiting for her so they could talk. It made her wonder if Lizzie had really forgiven her, or she was mistaken in her assumptions.

The next morning, Lizzie was already gone by the time she got up, much to Josie's disappointment. She got dressed and went in search of Hope, using the bond to lead her to her Dad's office.

Hope smiled from her place at Alaric's desk, then waved her over. Alaric was standing in front on a TV screen where Freya was displayed. "Auntie Freya found the journal my Uncle Kol kept during his time in Africa. Penelope was right, Malivore wasn't always in Georgia. It's movable. We'll not anymore. Uncle Kol book had the story of how Malivore was created, which means Auntie Freya knows how to permanently close the portal and destroy the dimension from within."

"How?"

"Me," Hope said. "Malivore was created by a vampire, a witch, and a werewolf. Since I'm the only living creature to be part of all three species, my blood is the key to destroying it."

"Is there anything I can do to help," Josie asked.

"Yes," Freya said. Josie turned and went over to the TV screen. "This spell requires an incredible amount of power. I'd like it if you and your sister act as our magical batteries, giving us a power boost. We can't perform the spell until the next full moon, which give us almost a month to prepare. All I need you to do is siphon as much magic as you can, while using as little as possible. Do you think you can do that?"

"I can do that," Josie agreed quickly. She was eager to help in any way she can. "And I'm sure Lizzie will too, but…"

"What is it?" Freya asked.

"Lizzie has… meltdowns," Alaric explained.

"Which are worse when she's not taking her meds," Josie added softly, knowing she couldn't keep it a secret any longer. If they were going to succeed in their part of the plan, then Lizzie needed to be at her best. She wasn't going to be there if she continued to forgo taking her medication.

Alaric looked at her sharply. "That's why she flying so high? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's my job to protect Lizzie's secrets," Josie explained weakly.

"Not this one Josie. Never this one," Alaric cried.

"Look," Freya said, gathering Alaric's attention again. "I'll be there in a few days. Keep Lizzie calm until I get there, then I can help her. Magical outbursts and mentally ill siblings are my specialty."

Hope came over to the screen and stood next to Josie. She gently wrapped her arm around Josie's waist and rested her head against her arm. "We got this Auntie Freya."

"I love you," Freya said.

"I love you too. Always and forever."

"Always and forever."

As soon as the screen went blank, Alaric went to his desk and grabbed something out of the top draw, then left the room without explaining where he was going. Not that it took a rocket scientist to figure it out.

"She's so going to hate me again," Josie sighed.

"No, she's not. I'm sure she'll understand once she learns why you did it," Hope assured her.

"I think we should go warn her though," Josie declared lightly. She stepped away from Hope and took her hand. Together they made there way around the school looking for Lizzie. When she wasn't in any of the school's common rooms, they went back to her dorm.

Lizzie was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking down at her hands. Alaric was sitting across from her on Josie's bed. The lie detector ball that was in his right hand, was glowing red, indicating whatever she had told him was a lie.

He turned when they opened the door, and almost immediately asked, "Where are her meds Josie?"

Lizzie's head snapped up and looked at Josie with a pleading look. A deep feeling of guilt settled in her. "I'm sorry, Lizzie," she said, then went over to Lizzie's closet and pulled out the bottles of pills that were still in her sister's suitcase. She handed them to her dad then sat down next to Lizzie. She tried to comfort her, but Lizzie shrugged the hand away and stood up.

Alaric opened one of the bottles and handed Lizzie two pills, which she reluctantly took. He waited for her to swallow them, then said, "We'll discuss this more tonight, when I give you your bed time meds. We're going back to how we used to do it until I can trust you again."

She didn't acknowledge his words. She just stood there staring at her pillows. He left with a heavy sigh.

"Lizzie, I'm sorry," Josie said.

Lizzie turned and gave her a withering glare, then walked towards the door, pushing past Hope who was still hovering there, unsure as to whether she should leave or not. "Get out of my way wolf."

Josie went to follow her, but Hope stopped her. "Let me," she said. "She's mad and might say something you both will regret."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Hope assured her. "Besides, we should probably talk anyways. Now that she knows I wasn't saying mean things about her."

"Okay. I'll go join the guys on their extravaganza thing MG has going on."

"I'll come join you after," Hope told her. She stood on her tippy toes and planted a kiss on Josie's lips, then turned around and left.

It took a little while for Hope before she found Lizzie hiding out at the old mill. Lizzie was sitting on the second level, where she and Josie had their first date. She had her feet dangling over the edge, with her arms crossed over the railing in front of her.

She carefully came up behind her, making sure to make enough noise that she didn't scare her when she sat next to her, mimicking her position.

"Did Josie send you," Lizzie said after a few minutes of them just sitting silently.

"No. I offered to come," Hope told her. "I figured we should talk."

"About what? About how my sister lied to me for years, making me believe you were telling people about my bipolar disorder, or the fact that my sister just betrayed me, again, or maybe how you're stealing my sister from me."

"All of the above," Hope said.

"Then talk…"

Hope carefully reached over with her right arm, and gently grasped Lizzie bicep. "My dad wasn't the sanest person in the world. He had his issues, and I'm probably not immune to them. You don't have to worry about me making fun of you, and if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

Lizzie looked over at her. "I believe you."

Hope needed her head and retracted her arm. "You should cut Josie some slack for today. She was just trying to help you."

"I didn't need her help. I was doing fine without the meds," Lizzie spat.

"Where you though?" Hope asked. "Cause from where I've been sitting, you're been more high-strung than normal."

"I was handling it," Lizzie said.

"You mean like I've been handling my shit for the last two years," Hope countered. "Because I've recently come to realize, I haven't been handling it all that great."

Lizzie looked at her again but didn't say anything.

"Why'd you stop taking your meds?"

Lizzie looked away. "I don't like how they make me feel."

"Is losing control better than that though?"

She sighed and rested her head on her arms.

Hope offered her hand to Lizzie. "Take some magic," she demanded.

"Why?"

"Take some magic and then I'll explain," Hope said.

Lizzie took Hope's hand and siphoned a small amount of power. No more than she would need for a simple spell, as she'd been taught her whole life.

"Take some more," Hope told her, and Lizzie listened. "For the next month my Aunt Freya needs you to do that whenever you can. Josie's worried that you won't be able to handle that much power because you haven't been taking your meds."

Lizzie looked ashamed. "She's probably right. I'm broken."

"I don't believe that. Everybody has things they have to deal with. Yours is just more complicated. That doesn't mean you're broken. My Aunt Freya is going to be here in a few days, and she's going to help you. Until then, Josie and I are here for you."

Hope stood up, and wiped the dust off her bottom, then offered her hand to Lizzie, who accepted it. She mimicked Hope's previous motions, and then followed Hope out of the mill. As they neared the school, Hope said. "I hope you know; I have no plans of taking Josie away from you. I care for her and I would never do anything that would hurt her. At least not on purpose. She loves you. You're her family and in my family, that's always and forever. You are stuck with me though, for as long as Josie wants me around."

"Great," Lizzie sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Just what I always wanted, a crossbred witch/wolf/vampire for a sister-in-law.

"Hey, I'm not a full vampire yet," Hope corrected.

"Yet… As in one day you will be," Lizzie said. "Hey. Do you think you get to keep your powers when you die?"

"Auntie Freya think I will because I was born this way instead of created, but I don't think I'm that lucky."

"I think it'd be cool to be a vampire, but I love being a witch. I don't think I could give that up."

"I love being a witch too," Hope agreed.

"Huh… Common ground," Lizzie mused.

"Is this how we become friends then?"

"That depends. What other illegal spells do you have up your sleeve?"

Hope laughed. "I'd hardly call them illegal, but I do have books loaded with them hidden under my bed."

They reached the school doors. Lizzie reached out and held it open for Hope. "Well then, sister-in-law, lead the way."

"Okay, but I need your help with something first," Hope said.

"I think that's only fair," Lizzie agreed.

She wasn't so happy when she learned what that favor was though. Hope lead them to her room where she ducked in briefly, then pulled her in to the bathroom.

"I haven't fed my aunt all day," Hope said, handing Lizzie the mug and tourniquet she had in her hands.

Lizzie cringed but took the band and wrapped it around Hope's arm. "Why are you feeding your aunt your blood, when the school has a supply in the kitchen?"

Hope handed Lizzie the end of the tube, which she put in the mug immediately, and then stuck the needle into her arm. "The school only has animal blood, not human. Animal blood taste gross from what I've been told, and while it will keep a vampire alive, it doesn't keep them at full strength."

"I didn't know that," Lizzie said as she watched the blood flow into the mug.

"It's not something your dad likes to advertise," Hope said. She pulled the needle out and waited for the rest of her blood to drip into the mug. As she cleaned the needle and tube she commented, "I'm surprised your mom has been handling the animal blood so well. She must be feeling the effects by now. I offered to bring her my blood, but she refused."

"What are the effects?" Lizzie asked.

"Mostly she'll just be weaker than a vampire who drinks human blood. She'll take a little longer to heal, and her stamina won't be as good."

"What would happen if a vampire attacked her, or a wolf, or a creature?" Lizzie asked.

"She could still take a wolf no problem as long as the wolf isn't wolfed out. We are faster and stronger than a vamp in that form. She could easily take any vamp in the school because she's older than them, but if she were attack by a vamp who drank blood, she'd lose. As for a monster, I don't know."

"Well that settles it then," Lizzie said, and began rolling up the sleeves of her blue sweater. "We'll fill a mug up for my mom. Here. Draw my blood."

Hope looked at Lizzie in shock. "Um… Your parents will kill me if I feed your mom your blood."

"So, give my mom your blood and give your aunt mine," Lizzie countered.

"Yeah, your dad will definitely kill me if I feed my aunt your blood."

"Now he won't, he loves you. Besides, if he did kill you, you'd just come back as a vampire, right?"

Hope eyed her closely, who was staring at her with an eager look. Then she realized that she had just found another thing they shared in common. "We need to get another mug, then I will fill it up, but you can take it to her. She won't be able to refuse it if your standing in front of her with that look on your face."

"Are you able to give that much blood?" Lizzie asked sounding, dare Hope think it, concerned.

"I should be fine," Hope said. "Perks of having vampire blood running through my veins. I heal quicker than an average wolf."

"Then let's go," Lizzie commanded, then siphoned the spell Hope had cast on the door. She held the door open for Hope.

Hope carefully carried the mug through the school. She ducked into the bathroom closet to the kitchen and waited for Lizzie to return with a clean mug. They repeated the same process as before, though Lizzie seemed less squeamish this time. Perhaps it was because she had already gone through it once, but Hope believed it was because the mug was for her mother.

Together they carried the mugs to Alaric's office, the most likely place to find at least one of their vampires. Alaric was sitting at his desk, with what looked like detailed maps covering every inch of it. Caroline was sitting on the couch with her laptop on her lap, and a plate of food forgotten on the coffee table. Rebekah was standing in front of the TV screen staring at what looked like building schematics.

Hope went over to Rebekah and quietly handed her the mug she was holding, giving her a little kiss on the cheek. She then subtly looked over at Lizzie and Caroline, to gage her reaction. Caroline looked at the mug Lizzie was handing her wearily, no doubt smelling that the blood wasn't animal, but as she suspected she wasn't able to refuse with the eager to please look on Lizzie's face. Hope had to smirk at the look. She looked like a three-year-old handing her mommy a pretty picture.

Caroline took the mug and sipped it, then looked over at Hope with a knowing look.

"Is it good?" Lizzie asked sweetly, gathering her mother's attention.

"It's perfect honey," Caroline smiled. "Thank you."

"Drink up, before it gets cold," Lizzy told her.

Caroline smiled then took a bigger sip.

Hope turned to her aunt and quietly said, "It's mine not hers."

Rebekah turned away from the screen and asked, "What darling?"

"What are you looking at?" Hope smoothly replied. She looked back over at Caroline, who had clearly heard what she said, because she looked more relaxed.

"Possible schematics for the Triad building," Rebekah replied, non the wiser. "Marcel found them on the Triad servers at one of the active buildings. He's on his way to Georgia now, to infiltrate the building."

"Do we know who is joining the raiding party?" Hope asked.

"Besides, you, me, and Caroline, Keelin rallied what remains of your mom's pack to help," Hope said.

"I want to go," Lizzie said.

Caroline, Alaric and Rebekah said, "No," at the same time, although Alaric and Caroline were a little more parental about it.

Hope rolled her eyes at them and then said, "You're on magic duty for the spell Lizzie. We can't risk losing you in the fight, and the less magic you use between now and then the better."

"Yay. I get to play magical battery while you get to play the hero again," Lizzie scoffed, then turned around and stormed out of the room.

Alaric yelled after her to come back, but she kept going.

Hope sighed heavily. She had just made headway with her, and now that was all down the drain. She headed after her, catching up with her as she ascended up the stairs to their floor.

Lizzie pretended Hope wasn't following her, so Hope grabbed her arm and pulled her up the stair and into her room. "It's not what you think." She bit her lip and then said, "The Triad take over is child's play. Pedro could take down one of those guys. The real fight is going to happen when we go to close Malivore. That's the fight you're going to be needed for."

"Wait What?"

"What? Did you really think I was going to go save the world and not bring my Avengers Squad with me? Please, Auntie Freya and I have been secretly planning this for days."

"Planning what?"

"Auntie Freya and I are sure that Malivore, or whoever has been raising the creatures, won't go down without a fight. You, Josie, Penelope, MG, and I are going to be playing body guards to my aunts coven"

"And you were waiting to tell me this why?"

"It not like I was going to tell you this in front of the parental units. They believe that with the key safe and the Triad people neutralized, they aren't going to have any problems when we go to close Malivore. Just don't go dying on us okay. It would really suck if I lost you just weeks after becoming your friend."

"Wait. I thought Josie and I were acting like a magical battery for the spell."

"No. I haven't had a chance to explain this to Josie yet, but all the magic you and Josie are consuming isn't for the spell. It's for the weapon."

"Wait, what?"

"Okay, so you know how Bonnie Bennet was able to destroy the Hell dimension?"

"Yeah. Aunt Bonnie called on her ancestors to channel the Hell fire into the dimension, destroying it from inside."

"Well we don't have a big enough blast of hell fire or access to our ancestors anymore, so Aunt Freya had to come up with another way to do it. The spell we are doing to close Malivore, begins with as many witches who are willing to relinquish enough magic into the weapon as possible. Just enough so they aren't completely depleted. Auntie Freya is already collecting magic from the New Orleans witches, but the majority of that magic will come from you and Josie, since you can just keep taking. Once the weapon is full, it will be tossed into Malivore, acting as our version of hell fire. Then the remaining witches will perform the ritual to ignite the weapon, which will pretty much be a bomb to will suck Malivore into it and explode it into the afterlife. Malivore will be gone forever. They have to cast a barrier over the pit as well making sure we don't accidental take Georgia off the map in the process."

"Where will you be when this is happening?"

"I will be right next to you and Josie, fighting any creature that tries to stop Auntie Freya."

"Are you giving your magic up?"

"Yes. Next to you and Josie, my magical contribution will be the largest, but since you can absorb more magic and I am also a wolf and part vampire, my magical limitations won't matter."

"Does this mean we get fight training?" Lizzie asked eagerly.

"Secretly, yes. We can't let your parents know what's going on until it's too late for them to stop us."

"Ooooo. Our own Dumbledore's Army," Lizzie beamed.

Hope chuckled are her enthusiasm. "Come on, Josie's worried about us." She stood up and went over to her door.

"That's weird you know," Lizzie commented.

Hope nodded her head in agreement. "I'm still getting used to it. The closer Josie and I get, the stronger the bond becomes."

"I feel like now would be a good time to give you the shovel talk," Lizzie declared.

"The what talk?"

"The shovel talk," Lizzie stated. "It's simple, Mikaelson. If you hurt my sister in any way, I will beat you to death with a shovel."

"That is… a very violent way to die," Hope commented.

"Yes, it is. So, I suggest you never hurt my sister."

"I would rather die than hurt Josie," Hope said seriously.

Lizzie looked at her with a curious glance, then said, "We have an understanding then."

They stopped outside the library doors and looked at each other. "I suppose we do," Hope said, then extended her hand out.

Lizzie took the hand and then formally shook on it. "Good, because I'd hate to have to kill you after just becoming friends."

The door opened suddenly, revealing a relieved looking Josie. She looked startled though when she saw her girlfriend and her sister holding hand. "Um… What's going on?"

They dropped hands. "Hope and I were just coming to an agreement. Isn't that right Hope?"

"That's right," Hope said, then stepped forward to kiss Josie a quick kiss. "You two should spend some time together. I'm gonna get my aunt to take me into town. Spend a little time with her. I'll see you tomorrow. Say for a breakfast date?"

"Our spot just before sunrise?" Josie questioned.

"I'll bring breakfast this time. Meet me in the kitchen around six."

"It's a date." Josie leaned down and kissed Hope again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a heads up. This is the last chapter I have completed, which means there is a chance there will not be a chapter next week. I am working on chapter 10, but it isn't going so well. The muses have either been silent or running on overdrive making it hard to actually focus on one thing to write. I'll keep you notified on my progress on Twitter. If you don't already follow me, my twitter tag is the same as my pen name.


	10. Testing The Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it's not in _italics_ , it's being spoken aloud.

Chapter 10: Testing The Bond

Hope was able to convince Rebekah to take her into town with barely any convincing. Not that she thought it would take much. Her aunt was always down for a good shopping trip. The downfall to living in a small town was having to hit up multiple shops to get everything on her list. They criss crossed through town, making stops at the drugstore, office supply store, hardware store, general store, before making their way to the grocery store.

"How about this one?" Rebekah asked, holding up a box of cookies and crème protein bars.

"Yeah," Hope replied. "Josie will love them, but we need to find brownie ones for Lizzie… Ah here," she said triumphantly as she reached for a box on the bottom shelf. "That just leaves a multi pack since I don't know what kind Raf and Landon would like."

Rebekah smiled widely at her niece.

"What?" Hope asked, noticing her aunt's strange smile?

"Nothing," Rebekah replied, but Hope was sure her aunts smile was for something. She just wasn't sure if she wanted to know or not.

"I think that's everything I need," Hope said. She pulled out her shopping list and looked over it, double checking that she had everything.

"It's still early darling. Do you want to get dinner before heading back to school?"

Hope slipped the list back into her pockets and nodded her head. She was having fun with her aunt and wasn't ready for the day to end just yet. "Food sounds good." They pushed their small cart up to the front of the store. "Oh… awesome," Hope said when she saw the snacks displayed on the mini fridges. She reached up and grabbed several bags of Flaming Hot Cheetos.

"Since when do you eat those?" Rebekah asked, as she placed the groceries onto the belt.

"I don't. Josie's been craving them for days. It's been driving me crazy," Hope explained.

"You're sharing her craving now?"

"More like aware of her craving. It's like this little voice at the back of my head whispering Cheetos, Cheetos, Cheetos, and I just know the what and the why."

"Is it weird having someone else in your head?" Rebekah asked quietly.

"Sometimes," Hope replied, then pulled her credit card out of her wallet. "Mostly it just feels right. Like it was always supposed to be like this and I just hadn't noticed that it was missing."

They went silent as the cashier rang up their items, not wanting him to overhear their conversation. On their way out to Ric's car, they bumped into the sheriff, quite literally. Hope was reading the bottom of the receipt and didn't see him standing by the carts.

"Sorry," she said, then looked up to see who she had ran into. "Oh… Sheriff, I didn't see you there."

"It's alright Hope," he grunted lowly. "Just watch where you're going."

"Hope, what's taking so long?" Rebekah asked as she made her way back into the store. Hope hadn't realized her aunt wasn't with her any more. "Matty," Rebekah exclaimed when she saw who Hope was talking to. "Matty, I haven't seen you in forever." She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello Rebekah," he replied, and he looked as though hm he actual was happy to see her. "I didn't know you were in town."

"Oh yes. I'm here visiting Hope and helping out with the monster problem. I'm surprised Ric didn't warn you."

"Well the last time I saw him, we didn't end things on the best of terms. He's keeping me apprised of the situation but has been tight lipped about the going-on at the school otherwise."

"Well we should get dinner and catch up," Rebekah said.

"I'd like that. How long will you be in town for?"

"A few weeks, maybe longer," Rebekah answered, then looked to Hope. "I'm enjoying getting to spend so time with Hope."

"Same," Hope added coolly.

"I'll phone you at the school then," Matt replied, then bid the girls goodbye and quickly entered the store.

Rebekah looked at Hope questioning at his quick departure. "He doesn't like me,'' Hope answered her silent question.

"I'm sure that's not true. What's not to like?"

Hope turned around and started making her way back to the car. She opened the back hutch and place the bags in her hands with the rest of them. When they were both safely in their seats, Hope answered, "He doesn't like me because I'm Klaus Mikaelson's daughter. All of Dr. Saltzman's friends look at me like that. Not that I can blame them after what dad did to them."

"Well I bloody well can," Rebekah spat. "So, what if your dad is Klaus. You are your own person and deserve to be treat as such. And none of them have any room to judge. They weren't perfect little angels. Elena stabbed me in the back, literally, when all I wanted was to be her friend and then they kill Kol to get their hands on the cure first."

"And the only reason I am alive is because someone else is dead," Hope said, reminding her aunt of the reason why they don't like her. "I'm not losing sleep over them not liking me. Dr. Saltzman trusts me… for the most part, and he's the only one I care about. So please, don't make a big deal out of this.

"Fine, I won't make a big deal, but I will be making sure Matt knows you are more than your father's daughter, you are also my niece whom I love with all my heart and soul." She leaned over and gave Hope a big kiss on the cheek. "Let's go eat, and you can tell me all about Josie."

Hope smiled, "That I can be down with."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope got up extra early the next morning and made her way out to the old mill with a large trunk full of supplies. Her aunt had been more than willing to spend the day with Hope, especially when it meant shopping was involved. She wanted to set everything up before her morning date with Josie, that way she could enjoy every moment she could before Lizzie woke.

She levitated the large black trunk up to the landing where her and Josie liked to have their breakfast dates, then opened the trunk and began sorting through the items. There were dozens of new candles, three blankets (one heavy, to lay on the floor and two fluffy ones to cuddle with), several pillows, fighting sticks, a bag of different kinds of balls, and boxing gloves in just about every color.

The blankets and pillows came out, along with a few of the candle, while everything else stayed in. Hope spread the heavy blanket out, then placed the pillows and fluffy blankets. After she had everything set up, she headed back to the school to get their breakfast ready. The cooks were more than happy to prepare breakfast for Hope and Josie, and had everything packed up and ready to go by the time Josie walked into the kitchen, still half asleep.

Half an hour later, Josie and Hope were cuddling together, talking softly. The remaining food was laying off to the side. It was chilly, so they had the blankets wrapped around them, while they looked out at the horizon, waiting for the sun to rise.

"How'd it go with Lizzie after I left?" Hope asked. She was enjoying being Josie's little spoon.

Josie hummed lightly. "She's mad, but I think it's more because Mom and Dad lectured us for an hour on the importance of Lizzie's mental health and how secrets only hurt Lizzie in the end. It's the bed time med that Lizzie hates the most. It knocks her out within an hour of taking it, and if she fights it, she says her body feels like its being pulled in several directions. She also hates how long she sleeps because of it and how drowsy she is if she doesn't get enough."

"Can't they try a different med?" Hope asked.

"This one works the best. She's calmer and clearheaded. It's just the side effect that bother her."

"I read that meditation can help."

"You did research on Lizzie's disorder?" Josie asked surprised.

"Yeah. Last night. I got a bunch of books while Auntie Bex and I were in town."

"That' so sweet," Josie gushed, then place a little kiss on Hope's temple. "Dad meditates with her. She has this brash bowl that helps to calm her, but a lot of the time it's just a way to calm her down after she's had an episode."

"Well maybe we can start meditating with her every day," Hope suggested, then rolled over to face Josie. "It could be a good way to strengthen our bond. Both between us and with Lizzie."

"I think she might like that," Josie agreed. She leaned forward and captured Hope's lip in a heated kiss. She pushed Hope onto her back and straddled her hips. The blanket that had been wrapped around them fell to the floor.

Hope grasped the sides of Josie's hips, running her hands down her thighs, wishing Josie had decided to wear a skirt instead of pants. She carefully flipped them, so she was lying above Josie, and rocked her hips in to Josie.

Josie's head fell backwards on to the pillow as she let out a loud moan at the friction Hope was creating. Hope leaned forward, allowing her body to rub against Josie's and planted kisses along her neck. Josie wrapped her legs around Hope's waist, pulling her rocking hips closer.

Hope rose over Josie, propping herself up on her elbow, allowing Josie to look into her eyes, which were bright yellow. She brought her hand up and gently ran her thumb beneath Hope's left eye.

Hope realized what Josie was reacting to, and then suddenly threw herself backward, so she was kneeling a few feet away from Josie, panting heavily. Josie wasn't sure exactly what was happening, but she did want nothing more then to comfort Hope.

Hope's panting eased and her eyes shifted back to normal, but she remained where she was kneeling, her body tense.

"Are you okay?" Josie asked tentatively.

"Yes. I just lost control for a second," Hope said.

"This isn't the first time we've made out," Josie stated.

"But this is the first time we've… you know… done that…"

Josie giggled and laid back, gesturing for Hope to join her. Hope slowly crawled over to Josie and cuddled into her side. "You know you're adorable when you can't say the words. It's just us here, you don't have to be so shy about it."

Hope huffed and came to sit next to Josie. "Grinding and dry humping sound so wrong."

"Now that you put it that way," Josie said, wrinkling her nose. "Are you okay."

"Yeah. I didn't realize my eyes had shifted until you were looking at me," Hope said.

"You were fine, Hope," Josie said. "I think your wolf eyes are cute."

"I'm afraid I might lose control in the moment, and hurt you," Hope admitted.

"I don't think you will hurt me," Josie replied honestly. "I didn't feel any aggression coming from you. Just a lot of other stuff." Josie didn't elaborate what other things she was feeling because she believed Hope already knew what she was talking about. Aside from the intense sexual charge running through their bond, the overwhelming feeling of love flowed strong. It had become an unspoken rule that it was too early for them to admit such feelings aloud, because it was still early in their relationship.

"Still, I think we should take things a little slower for now," Hope said. "At least until I'm sure I won't lose control."

"So, no more making out?" Josie asked with a pout.

"We can still make out," Hope assured her. "We should just keep the… you know to a minimum for now."

Josie smiled, "I think we can do that."

Hope looked out over the horizon and pouted, "We missed the sunrise."

"There's always tomorrow," Josie pointed out happily, then pulled the blanket back over them. "What should we do today?"

"I figured we could start fight training. Lizzie seemed eager to learn, and I also read that physical activity is good for those with bipolar disorder. It helps to focus the mind better.

Josie smiled at Hope and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. "You're so sweet, and I'm excited to start fight training as well," Josie hummed. "Lizzie told me about the plan. She excited about getting to be a hero. I think it'll be good for her to have something to focus on. When do you think your aunt will tell my dad the truth?"

"Hopefully not until it's too late, but they have some weird parental relationship, so she will probably tell him as soon as she come back," Hope said. "I was actually hoping you would help me with something before Lizzie joins us, if you're not afraid that is."

"Why would I be afraid?"

"Because it involves wolf me."

"I'm not afraid of your wolf side, Hope."

Hope could feel the truth in Josie's words, which made her relax. "I want to test out using magic while wolfed out."

"Sure, what do you need me to do?"

"Just toss some balls into the air and be there incase I accidental start the mill on fire."

"Hey, that's my specialty," Josie joked.

"I am well aware of your prevalence to fire," Hope smiled. "I have half a dozen fire spells running through my mind now. Which is why I want to teach you a water spell I know. I also want to test out our bond. I notice when I shifted a few days ago that the bond felt stronger. If I'm right, then me wolfing out will give us a taste of what completing the bond will be like."

"A precursor to the real thing," Josie said. "I like to see what it's be like before we decide. I'm game."

"Awesome," Hope said, then stood up. She offered her hand to her girlfriend who accepted it. "We just have to do one thing first."

"Does it involve drawing blood?"

"It does. Your sister and I have come to an agreement of sorts, which involves a mug of blood for your mother. So, we can either wake Lizzie up so she can give it to her, or you can give it to her yourself. She won't accept it from me though. I tried last night. She flat out refused to take it and lectured me for half an hour on the dangers of sharing my blood."

"And you're still willing to do this why?"

"Have you met your sister? I'd rather get lectured by your mother every night, than disappoint your sister this early in our shaky friendship."

Josie snorted, "I'm sure my sister will understand if my mother doesn't want to drink your blood, and I can't believe I just said that."

Hope laughed. "Honestly, with the fight coming up, we need your mom at her best and that won't happen if she's only on the school's animal blood. That and I really don't mind being the blood source until a better option comes along."

"Then I suppose I'll take Mom her breakfast, and see if she takes it," Josie said. "Are you okay with giving that much? Six mugs a day seems like a lot."

"I'm fine," Hope said. She picked up the picnic basket up, then gently pulled Josie toward the steps. The made their way back to the school silently, depositing the empty food containers off in the kitchen and grabbed two mugs out of the cabinets. Hope had planned ahead and brought the tourniquet and needle with her. They went up to their floor and ducked into the bathroom.

They filled both of the mugs, then went their separate ways, Josie to her mother's room in the adult's wing and Hope to her room where her aunt was sure to be asleep. Hope shook her aunt awake, who looked up at her with a withering glare.

"Sometimes I wonder how much of you is Klaus," she growled playfully.

Hope smiled then held the mug out for her aunt to take.

"Then again, you are very much your mother's daughter," Rebekah sighed as she took the mug.

"I'm going to wolf out and practice magic doing magic if you want to come watch. I promise I won't bite you."

"As fun as that sounds, I can't. Caroline's requested my aid in procuring blood for the school. She and I are heading into Georgia to hit up a few of the blood banks."

"Why Georgia?" Hope asked.

"So, it can't be traced back to the school," Rebekah answered. "We'll be gone for at least a day."

"You, on a road trip, with Caroline, for an entire day. Can I trust that you won't kill each other?"

"Don't be silly, darling. If I killed Caroline, then I would never be allowed to stay here with you. Besides, it's bad taste to kill the mother to your favorite niece's love, and vice-versa. You have nothing to worry about."

"Alright then," Hope said, then leaned down and gave her aunt a kiss. "I see you when you return."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope was already wolfed out and waiting when Josie returned to the mill, with a bag of balls were sitting in front of her. She cocked her head when she saw Josie but didn't move.

Josie smiled widely at the beautiful white wolf and went to sit in front of her. She picked up a small racket ball and rolled it around in her hands. "Lizzie's still sleeping. I left a note for her, telling her to come here after she's eaten."

Hope didn't make a sound but did nod her head a little. Josie stared into Hope's eyes and focused of the bond she shared with her. It was faint at first, barely any different than it usually was, but as she allowed the bond to open up, she could feel everything Hope was feeling and more.

It started out softly, like a whisper in the wind urging her to pick the ball up, then it grew louder and louder the more she embraced the bond. Hope's voice whispering, "Pick the ball up… Pick the ball up…"

She wondered if it was actually Hope's voice speaking to her, or if her mind was manifesting Hope's voice to clarify the compulsion she was feeling.

" _Nope_ ," Hope's voice said softly. " _I can hear you too."_ The voice was soft and faded in and out like she was fine tuning a radio station.

_"You're fading in and out. Is it the same for you?"_

_"No… I can hear you just fine,"_ Hope replied. _"Probably because I'm in wolf form."_

_"This is strange."_

_"Agreed."_

_"Do you think we can control what we hear?"_

_"Maybe. Think of something and I'll try and block it."_

_"Okay… Mom says, and I'm quoting here, if one of my daughters bring me another mug of your blood. I'm locking you up in the werewolf transition cells for a week."_

_"Damn… So, we can't block it. What if we try to not project our thoughts?"_

_"Okay…_ " Josie heard, then everything went silent for a full minute. _"Josie? Did you hear that?"_

"No," she said aloud.

_"You try it. Just think like you normally would, instead of thinking for me to hear."_

_"Okay,"_ Josie said, then the thought about Lizzie. She was worried about her now that she was back on her meds. Especially since she was still upset with her about spilling the beans. Sure, she said it was okay but that didn't stop her from worrying.

_"Josie… Josie… Josie… Are you okay?"_

_"Yes,"_ Josie said with a soft smile. _"Can you hear me?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Then I guess that's the key. We're projecting our thoughts to each other."_

_"Am I coming in clearer now?"_

_"Yes, but you're still fading in and out a little."_

_"Do you think you could handle this for the rest of your life?"_

Josie thought about what Hope was implying. Could she handle being linked to Hope every day? Would there come a day where she no longer wanted to be this close to her. Maybe. Maybe, one day know exactly what Hope was thinking and feeling would drive her mad, but then again, how many couples could say they know exactly what was in their love's heart? Isn't that what every couple wants?

 _"Maybe,"_ she answered honestly. _"I'm sixteen. The rest of our lives, hopefully is a very long time. Maybe one day this will be to much. Maybe one day I will want to break the link. Maybe one day you will. Until then, I think this is kind of cool. How many people can say they literally know what is inside their love's head and heart?"_

 _"Not many,"_ Hope said. _"I want to make sure you know how much I care for you."_

 _"I know you do Hope,"_ Josie said then put her hand over her heart. _"I feel it here, every day, and I know you feel how I feel too."_

_"I do. I just want to make it clear that even if you want to break the bond. I am still going to be here for you. The way I am feeling has nothing to do with the bond, and everything to do with you. I am sure of that."_

Josie smiled widely and reached out to gently rubbed Hope's ears. "I feel the same way, Hope."

_"Good."_

"So… Where do you want to start?"

_"I have access to your basic knowledge while in this form. Everything you've learned. Is it the same for you?"_

Josie thought for a moment. "I'm not sure."

_"Here. Who is Aurora de Martel?"_

Josie thought for a moment. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Then, as if by magic, she just knew. _"Aurora de Martel is the first on your aunt Rebekah's sire line and your father's ex-girlfriend. She's currently sleeping on a couch in your compound, under a sleep spell."_ She looked at Hope with wide eyes. "Wow. That's trippy."

_"Yeah. Not everything is coming through yet. No memories. Just general information, and only if you focus on it. Like when I thought of a way to get out of the cell and all of a sudden I had five fire spells I have never used before, or the fact that I know your sister is named after your mother's mother."_

"So, no emotions or memories, just general knowledge. Like you know it without knowing how you know it."

_"Pretty much."_

"Do you think that will change once we complete the bond?"

_"Maybe, but we won't know until it happens."_

_"Do you think our connection will weaken once you're in your human form again?"_

_"It's likely. When I shifted last week, the bond was strong. I felt as though you were in me, but when I shifted back it was as if we were miles apart again. The closer we become, the stronger the connection, but I still think my being in this form is the closest we will get to the real deal."_

_"Then let's test this out a little. I noticed that I seem to know exactly what you want, before you say it. Don't project your thought. Just want something and see if I can feel what it is."_

_"Okay,"_ Hope thought, then stood up. She took several steps backwards.

Josie watched her carefully, while allowing herself to focus solely on their bond. At first, she felt nothing, then she suddenly felt Hope's desire to have her pick up one of the balls. She pulled out the basket ball and held it out in front of her. She focused on the bond again, and tossed the ball in the air when she felt that was what Hope wanted.

Josie smiled widely when the ball froze in mid-air and looked to Hope in surprise. "That is so cool."

 _"Yeah it is,"_ Hope projected, then barked happily.

The ball flew back into the bag.

Josie could feel that Hope wanted the tennis balls tossed in the air, so she did just that. There were six of them in the bag, so she grabbed them all and tossed them into the air one at a time. Hope froze each ball at various places and heights in the mill.

Josie watched in awe as Hope cast a different spell on each of the balls. What was most amazing about it though, is she could feel what Hope was.

The first ball went soaring out of the mill, landing to far away for them to see. Josie could feel Hope's annoyance at that. Hope wanted the ball to go the opposite way, back into the bag.

She tried the same spell on the next ball, and her excitement radiated through their bond when the ball landed where she wanted it to go. That same ball came flying back out of the bag and then burst into flames as it went flying. It landed as few feet from Josie, who suddenly felt a burst of panic come through the bond. Josie raised her hand and whispered the water spell to extinguish the flames before they could spread. She felt Hope relax, then heard, _"Thanks. I'm going to have to work on the water spell."_

"Yeah," Josie agreed. "No more fire spells until you work on that one."

_"Good idea!"_

Josie went to say something but Hope suddenly turned to the entrance way and crouched down. A few moments later, Lizzie came strolling through the entrance way, with the lost ball in her hands, and a big smile on her face. That smile quickly dropped into a look of fear when Hope suddenly started growling. She dropped the ball and took several steps backwards, tripping over an old crate of decrepit tools.

Josie began laughing, because she could feel that her girlfriend was just messing with Lizzie, then light chastened the wolf, "Hope. Be nice. She can't tell that you're messing with her."

Hope stopped growling and looked to Josie. _"That's the fun part."_

"You have an evil streak in you," Josie chuckled.

_"I am my father's daughter."_

"I swear I can see you smirking. Be nice." She looked to Lizzie who was watching the pair curiously. "She was just messing with you."

Lizzie grumbled under her breath as she stood up, and then picked up the ball she dropped. She tossed it at Hope, who easily caught it. "I'm seriously rethinking this friendship."

"Hope says she's sorry," she relayed what Hope was saying to her. "She promises not to do it again."

"She better not," Lizzie grumbled.

"She says, she promises, and that she will tell you that herself once she's in human form."

Lizzie looked at Josie with a strange look on her face, then to Hope, then back to Josie again. "You can hear her thoughts now?"

"Yes," Josie answered. "The bond is stronger with her as a wolf. Her thoughts kind of fade in and out, but I'm able to understand everything she says. She say's mine are clear for her though, which makes sense. Her wolf is the reason we are bonded."

"That is… Insane but kind of cool," Lizzie declared. "How does it work?"

Josie went to answer but she and her sister were startled by the remaining four balls suddenly dropped to the ground then flew into the bag. "A little warning would have been nice."

_"Sorry. I'm going to go change back while you explain."_

"Okay. Hurry back." She watched Hope practically fly up the steps, then turned to her sister to explain everything She and Hope had learned.

When Hope returned, they tested the bond to see how strong it was. Unfortunately, they could no longer hear each other's thoughts, but they did notice the bond was slightly stronger than beforehand.

"Maybe the more Hope is a wolf, the stronger the bond will become as humans," Lizzie suggested.

"Yeah, but I don't think we'll be able to communicate while I'm in my human form until after we complete the bond."

"Have you decided you're going to do that?" Lizzie asked.

Josie bit her lip lightly and looked at Hope. She could feel Hope's desire to complete the bond, but she wasn't sure if Hope knew she wanted this or not.

"No," Hope said. "We haven't decided anything yet, and we won't decide until Josie is ready."

Josie smiled fondly at Hope. "We'll decide when we are both ready to decide."

Hope nodded her head then looked to Lizzie. "I figured we could get started with a little meditation, then we can move onto the basis."

Lizzie didn't look excited about the meditation, but she did perk up when Hope mentioned the basics.

They spent the rest of the morning practicing the basics, only stopping when Caroline and Rebekah interrupted to say goodbye. After lunch, Josie and Hope went back to Hope's room to enjoy some alone time, while Lizzie went off the join MG, Raf, and Landon.


	11. Into the Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey guys. So, I want to apologize for not getting a chapter out last week. I'll be honest, while I did have an awesome family weekend with my cousin, I was massively consumed with binge reading The 100 fics. Sometimes my OCD sucks. On the other side, I have been writing like crazy this week and I already have next weeks chapter done, and I'm nearly finished with chapter 13 as well. So hopefully that won't happen again.
> 
> On another note, someone pointed out a few things about Penelope and Hope's friendship. I hope this chapter kind of fixes that bit.

Chapter 11: Into the Unknown

The rest of spring break went by in a blur for Hope. When she wasn't holed up in her room with Josie, they were with the boys playing games, or bonding with Lizzie over the illegal spells and fight training. Hope and Josie continued to test the limits of their bond, with Hope as a wolf and as a human. With each shift, they could feel the bond grow, but they had yet to be able to hear each other telepathically while Hope was in human form.

When Hope wasn't with one of the twins, she was spending time with her Aunt Rebekah. Sure, she spent plenty of time with her when she was home for the holidays, but it never felt like enough time. Maybe because she had always worried whenever she was around her family. Fearful that they too would succumb to the same fate as her parents. That fear had been lessening over the last few weeks. What with her friendship with Penelope and Lizzie and her relationship with Josie, it was becoming easier for her to accept those she cared for weren't going to up and leave her. It was still there, at the back of her mind, but she was learning to push it away and enjoy spending time with those she cared for.

Freya and Keeling arrived on the last day of spring break. The school was filled with parents returning with their children, taking the time to meet with Caroline and Alaric. Which meant Rebekah had the day off from planning their attack on Triad. Her and Josie spent the day, catching up with her aunts and playing with her cousin.

Lizzie joined them for a while but headed back to her room long before it was time for dinner. Despite being back on her meds, she was still flying higher than she should. She was doing her best to keep herself in check, but it was clear that she was still struggling.

Penelope returned to school just before curfew, so Hope decided to leave her very crowded room and spend the night with her, even though it meant dealing with Penelope's bitchy roommate. Yes, she put Penelope's bitchiness to shame. She spent the entire night not saying a word to them but glaring at them from across the room. After a while they pulled Penelope's bed down on the floor and built a fort round it, allowing them to cast a silencing spell around them so they could talk freely.

They laid together, passing Hope's tablet back and forth as they played a game of scrabble on it, talking as they went. Hope told Pen all about the mission they were planning, and the spell that they were performing to close Malivore for good. She naturally wanted in and was happy when Hope promised she could be.

Penelope then changed the subject to Hope's sex life, point blank asking her if they'd done it yet. Hope fumbled a little, then confided in what had happened a few mornings before. Penelope was sympathetic, and even told her about what happened the first time she had done anything more than simple kissing. She accidentally released a blast of energy, that exploded through her house. Her mom came to see what had happened, and found her half dressed on top of her girlfriend.

"That's why she sent me here," Penelope admitted. "Not because of the sex part, mom was pretty cool about that. She just wanted me to have better control over my powers. Some of the girls in my mom's coven went here, so she enrolled me a few month later. It sucked leaving Wendy, but I've learned so much here. And I got to be with Josie for a while, which was nice while it lasted. Now I have you to chill with. Mom actually got a job in Belgium. There's a witch only school not far, so I could see her more. We were supposed to leave over spring break, but I told her I wanted to stay." Penelope handed the tablet to Hope and looked at her pointedly.

Hope took the tablet but laid it on her chest. "You stayed because of me?"

"At first, I was I was waiting to see if Josie would give me a reason to stay, but she gave me a million reasons to go. Then you sat down with MG and I out of the blue one day, and things spiraled from there. Don't get me wrong, MG's cool and all, but you're the only one here who's treated me like family. You trusted us to tell your wolf problems too, which shocked the hell out of me. You've always been an incredibly private person."

"I am… No, I was a private person. I guess something changed inside of me when I bonded to Josie. I think she makes it easier for me to trust that people won't always leave me."

"Are you still afraid people will leave you?"

"Yes. Every day. It's what people have done my whole life, but Josie makes me feel… whole, I guess. She makes conquering my fears easier."

Hope played her word then handed the tablet to Penelope. "I'm sorry," She sighed. "I know this must be hard for you."

Penelope rolled onto her side. "Your right. It is hard as hell to hear you talking about Josie like that, but at the same time I'm happy for you and her. You literally have a romance straight from the story books. Who am I to stand in your way?"

"Someone who loves Josie," Hope said.

"And a part of me always will, but she's not mine anymore. I screwed up and I realized it to late. She made it clear before you realized what was happening that she didn't want me back, and as painful as it has been to accept, even if you would break up, I have no chance with her. It's best if I just move on."

Penelope played her word then handed the tablet back to her, then rolled onto her back again. "Besides, the more you talk about her with me the less I hurt, and the more Josie shifts from my girl to yours in my mind."

"I just don't want to hurt you. You're kind of the first real friend I've ever had, unless you count my grandma Mary."

Penelope looked at Hope. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Grandma Mary was the only person my mom trusted enough to know where we were hiding, and I haven't really made any friends here for reason's I've already stated."

"Well then I guess I should tell you that you're the only real friend I've made at this school, well beside MG, but he only counts when he isn't following Lizzie around like a little puppy dog; which is like ninety percent of the time."

"She has no clue he's into her," Hope stated. "We should either try and fix them up or find another girl for him. Someone who is actually going to notice that he likes her."

"Or boy," Penelope said. "MG's into guys too."

"I didn't know that," Hope informed her.

"It's not widely known. He's out and all, it's just he's always following Lizzie around so everyone who isn't his close buds thinks he's straight. We should try and set him up with Landon. I get the bi-vibe from him."

"Bi-vibe?"

"Oh yeah. I have excellent gaydar. I knew Josie was into girls the second I laid eyes on her."

"And you never thought that was just your hormones lusting after her?"

"Maybe, but I was still right. I'll work my magic with MG and Landon. See if we can't sway MG's attention onto him."

"Hey, I'm pretty sure Lizzie's into girls. You could ask her out," Hope said suddenly.

Penelope looked at Hope with wide eyes and then laughed. "Me and Lizzie. You can't be serious?"

Hope smiled at her. "I got you to laugh though."

"You have a devil side to you Hope Mikaelson," Penelope chuckled. "I like it."

"I am my father's daughter," Hope chuckled. "In all seriousness though, Lizzie's not as bad as she seems."

"Seriously? You're not messing with me again?"

"Lizzie and I have found a common ground. We've been spending a lot of time together. She's not as bad as you would think. I'd like it if the two of you could at least be civil around one another."

"Lizzie is the reason Josie and I broke up. She sucks the life out of Josie, leaving nothing left for anyone else."

"I know Lizzie requires a lot of Josie's attention, but you have to remember that Josie is more than willing to be that person for her. Part of their problem stems from Josie not being able to voice herself to Lizzie, who literally needs to be told what is going on around her. They've fallen into this codependency cycle, and just need a little understanding and help from those who love them."

"You sound like a therapist," Penelope deadpanned.

"I've been doing a lot of reading on Lizzie's disorder, and I've met with Emma twice this week to get her advice on how to help. I've also talked with Lizzie about what it's like for her, to try and understand it from her point of view. It sounds tough from both their positions."

"You did all that? I was only gone a week."

"I care about Josie and want to do anything that will help her and Lizzie," Hope replied honestly.

"I… Damn Hope…" She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the blankets above them. "You must think I'm a horrible person."

"No. Why would you think that?" Hope asked, honestly confused by what Penelope was thinking.

"Because I never once even thought about looking up Lizzie disorder. Hell, I never even bothered to try and understand her. All I saw was how much time and energy she took from Josie, and I hated her for it."

Hope grabbed Penelope's hand and gave it a good squeeze. "I don't think you're a horrible person. I just think you're flawed, just like we all are, and that's okay. My dad was a thousand years old and still made mistakes. I think it's what you do once you realize you made a mistake that matters the most."

"Why are you so damn perfect?" Penelope joked.

Hope snorted, "I am far from perfect."

"Well from where I'm sitting, you are perfect for Josie."

"No… She's perfect for me."

"I don't see the difference."

"I guess that's what being soulmates means," Hope said shrugging her shoulders. She lifted her tablet up and played her word. "So, what'd you do during your break?"

"Mostly helped Mom finish packing. She's sold the house, so all my stuff either went with her or is being shipped here."

"What about your dad. You haven't really talked about him."

"Because there's not much to say. My parents divorced when I was younger, and he hasn't spoken to me in over two years. Ever since he found out I like girls just as much as boys." She passed the tablet to Hope. "Ha. I win."

Hope took the tablet and rolled onto her side. "Do you miss him?"

Penelope sighed heavily. "Sometimes, when I do really well on a test, I'll forget for a moment that he hates me, and I'll go to call him to share the good news like I did when I was younger, but then I remember that he does hate me. I miss him for a split moment, and then I just hate him for hating me."

Hope wrapped her hand around Penelope's bicep, as the girl struggles to keep her tears a bay. "I don't have my dad to share anymore, but I do have three really great aunts, one of whom seems to like you a lot. She kept asking when you were coming back to school."

Penelope rolled over to face Hope, with a soft smile on her face. "Auntie Bex is the best."

"Don't let her hear you say that. It'll go to her thousand-year-old head."

Penelope chuckled then handed the tablet to Hope. "Best two out of three."

"I've already beaten you twice."

"So best three out of five then."

Hope woke the tablet up and said, "You're on."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Penelope decided to join Hope for breakfast with Josie, which she was sure would be awkward as hell. She wanted nothing more than to be on the other side of this pain. To be able to sit with her friends without pining over the fact that she still loved Josie. She just wanted things to be normal and okay.

Breakfast wasn't as awkward as she thought it would be, but she suspected that was because Hope and Josie were doing everything in their power to refrain from any sort of couple-y actions, outside of a chaste kiss good morning. Josie seemed to enjoy having her there, which was a nice change from the glares and the 'I hate you' she used to get from her. Not that she blamed her, Penelope hurt her pretty badly when she broke up with her.

For weeks before she ended things, they fought nearly every day about the same thing. Lizzie, and Josie's incessant need to take care of her, even when it meant Josie neglected herself. Well, at least that's what Penelope believed.

It never occurred to Penelope to try and understand Lizzie a little better. To her, Lizzie was just this offensive person sucking up all of Josie's time, energy, and love, and never returning any of it. She saw Lizzie as nothing more than a black hole. It hit her hard when she heard Hope talking about Lizzie and Josie the night before and made her realize that Lizzie had never been the problem in their relationship, she had.

In a way, that made dealing with her residual feeling for Josie easier. She hadn't wanted Hope to know how much it pained her to see her with Josie. She had been playing it off that she was fine with it, but in reality, it hurt like hell. After her conversation with Hope, she realized that Hope was Josie's person. The one everyone dreams of finding, but rarely ever does. It went more than the bond they shared. They were perfect for each other, and that was something Penelope could get behind.

Sure, she still hurt seeing them together. She figured that wasn't going away anytime in the near future, but she wanted both of them to be happy. It was that desire that helped her get through each day. Hope had quickly become one of the best things she had in her life, and she wasn't about to screw that up.

Penelope had been telling Josie and Hope about the job her mom got in Belgium, when Hope suddenly asked, "Are you alright?"

She was confused as to why Hope was asking that, but then she remembered that she literally shared a bond with Josie. Fear crept into her chest as she turned to Josie, who was sitting there as though nothing was wrong.

"It's not me," Josie answered casually, which just confused Penelope more. "Lizzie's having a panic attack. I should probably go make sure she's alright."

"Do you want me to come with, or maybe go get my aunt?" Hope asked.

"No... It's just a panic attack. Nothing I haven't dealt with a hundred times. She's probably just worrying about what to wear. You two stay. Enjoy the sunrise. I'll see you in class."

Josie left before either of them could stop her. When Penelope was sure Josie was out of ear shot, she turned to Hope and cried, "You can feel Lizzie too?"

"Only when Lizzie's feelings are overtaking Josie's. Lizzie can feel me too when my feelings are over taking Josie's."

"Poor Josie. That are a lot of feeling that aren't her own to deal with."

"She seems to be handling it alright. She doesn't feel Lizzie all the time, and the majority of it is a more physical manifestation. Lizzie's been having a hard time recently and the magic she's consuming hasn't been helping any. We've been meditating with her every day, which seem to be helping a little. I think the more into fight training we get, the more of an outlet she'll have."

"Again, I say, how are you so damn perfect? And do I get to start fight training?"

"Tonight. Right after classes. We've been doing it here, but I think we may need to move it to the gym. I guess we'll try it here first and if we don't have enough room, we'll find a better spot," Hope answered. "And I'm not perfect."

Penelope rolled her eyes at her, then asked. "Won't Dr. Saltzman become suspicious?"

"I have a story ready for if he comes snooping around," Hope said, then pointed out over the horizon.

Penelope stopped and look, amazed at the view. She had been at the Salvatore school for over a year and had never bothered to get up early enough to see a sun rise. She preferred to sleep until she had no choice but to get up. It was nice to enjoy something so simple, yet amazing, with her friend.

After the sun was completely visible, they packed the blankets and pillows into a chest that Hope had put there days before.

Her day went by in a blur. Most of her teachers didn't make them do much, as it was the first day back from spring break. During her world history class, she was summoned to Dr. Saltzman's office and was surprised to find Hope sitting outside the office as well. Before either had a chance to question the other's presence, MG opened the door and called them in.

Both were surprised to find only Alaric in his office. For weeks now, at least one of Hope's relatives were with him. "Girls," he said and gestured to the chairs. "I'll make this quick. A complaint has been made against the two of you."

"A complaint? By who?" Penelope asked.

"Your roommate Amanda," Alaric sighed. It was clear that he wasn't happy about having this conversation. "Apparently the two of you destroyed the room last night and stayed up all night talking and doing magic."

"That bi… beechnut."

Hope gave her an amused look.

"She wouldn't stop glaring at us, so we built a fort on the floor, on Penelope's side of the room. It was only a little after curfew when we did this, and I cast a silencing spell so she couldn't hear us."

Alaric groaned, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last part, and simply give you this warning. No more sleepovers in Penelope's room on school nights."

"Come on Dr. Saltzman. I asked for a private room months ago. Why should I be punished because my roommate is a bi… beechnut?"

"You are on the top of the list for a new room in the fall. As long as you remain third in your class the room is yours. Until then, keep the sleepovers out of your room on school nights. Am I clear?"

"Fine," Penelope grumbled.

"You can go, Penelope. Hope will catch up with you for fight training."

Both Penelope and Hope looked at each other, then look at him with the most innocent look they could give him. "We don't know what you're talking about," they said in unison, which shouldn't have freaked him out as much as it did, considering his daughter did it all the time to him.

"Yeah. I bet you don't. Go ahead and get everyone to stretch. Hope will be there soon," he instructed.

Hope nodded her head and said, "I'm be there soon."

Penelope listened to Hope and headed back to her room to change into gym clothing before she made her way to the old mill. MG and Kaleb were the first to show, which Penelope was shocked at. She didn't realize Kaleb had become part of the Avengers squad. She chatted with MG as they waited for the rest to show up. Turns out MG invite Kaleb to fight training because they had gotten close over the break. She wasn't a big fan of Kaleb, but if MG was cool with him, then she could at least tolerate him.

Josie and Lizzie arrived together, with Landon and Rafael trailing behind them. Lizzie didn't look happy to see her, but she didn't comment.

"Is this everyone?" Penelope asked.

"Except for Hope, yeah," Josie answered.

"Hope's tied up at the moment," Penelope told them. "She asked me to get us all stretched out while we wait for her."

"Great, Hope left Satan in charge," Lizzie grumbled.

"Be nice Lizzie," Josie reprimanded quietly. "Remember what we talked about. Penelope is Hope's best friend, and you like Hope now, which means you have to at least be civil with Pen."

"Fine, but don't expect me to become BFF's with her."

Penelope led them in some simple stretches, mostly for those who didn't have supernatural healing. Everyone followed her lead, even MG and Kaleb. Hope didn't show up by the time they were sufficiently stretched so they moved outside and started a simple game of dodgeball, with the vampires as targets. The goal was simple, hit a vamp while they were zipping around them at super speed.

They were twenty minutes into the game that the vamps were winning when Penelope noticed Josie pause and grab her chest. Concerned she made her way over to her while Lizzie continued to through balls at the vamps. Penelope had to smirk at the smile on Lizzie's face. She didn't think it was possible for her to be happy with anything.

"You okay?" she asked lightly.

Josie jump slightly. "Yeah," she said. "It's not me. Hope's upset."

"Do you know about what?"

Josie shook her head. "No. She is coming though, and she really wants to wolf out."

"Okay," Penelope said. She turned to where Lizzie and Landon were standing back to back and let out a high-pitched whistle. MG and Kaleb came to a stop just feet away from them and looked at her questioningly. "Training's cancelled for today. I suggest you guys head back to school, unless you want to become the sticks in Hope's game of fetch."

Both vampires visibly cringe at the mental image and start backing up.

"Naw man. We're good," MG declared and started heading back to the school with Rafael and Landon in tow.

"What's going on?" Lizzie asked looking upset. "I was having fun."

"Hope's coming and she wants to wolf out," Josie answered.

"Well she could have waited until after training was over," Lizzie scoffed.

"Lizzie, she's upset," Josie scolded.

"Oh… I didn't realize Mikaelson was capable of being upset. She's always so… put together."

"Well she is. So be nice," Penelope demanded.

"I'm not the evil one here, Penelope," Lizzie growled.

"Says…"

"Stop it… Both of you…" Josie snapped. "If you can't be civil then leave."

Both opened their mouths to say something but closed them again when Hope rounded the corner.

Hope smiled weakly at them, then moved past them into the mill without saying a word. A few minutes later, Hope emerged in wolf form. She let out a long howl, then took off towards the forest.

"She says she just needs a little time to run. She'll be back later and not to wait around for her," Josie said.

Penelope turned to Josie in shock. "You can hear her thoughts?"

"Yeah. We've been testing the bond all week," Josie replied. "She's asking to be left alone."

"Well I don't know about you two, but I have homework to take care of," Lizzie said, then grabbed her sister's arm lightly. "Tell her she knows where to find me if she wants to talk."

Josie closed her eyes and then opened them a few second later. "She says thanks."

Penelope watched Lizzie leave unsure of whether that was really Lizzie Saltzman or not. She turned to Josie and weakly cried, "I was only gone for a week."

Josie smiled at Penelope. "I'm going to go get my homework and a sweater and I'll wait for her in the mill. You're more than welcome to wait with me, but it's going to be awhile."

For the first time since their breakup, Penelope found herself feeling uncomfortable in Josie's presence. That was a feeling she was no accustom to. "No. I think I'm going to go find the boys," She said, and gracefully moved away from Josie. Apparently, she was cool with Josie only if she wasn't alone with her.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope ran through the forest at lightning speed, swerving left or right to miss the trees, occasionally kicking of the base of one when it couldn't be missed. Her paws dug into the ground kicking it up behind her, creating a storm of dust as she went.

She could still hear Josie in her mind, occasionally asking if she was alright. She would reply, not wanting her beautiful girlfriend to worry. Well, worry more than she already was, anyway. She could feel the storm of emotions coming through the bond, and the worry in her voice when she mustered up the courage to ask.

Hope tried to let the comforting emotions Josie was sending through the bond in droves wash over her, soothing her troubled mind. Unfortunately, even Josie couldn't calm her. She was scared and upset and felt trapped and those feelings were manifesting in dangerous ways.

She attempted to hold back the darkness inside of her, fearing her girlfriend's reaction to it. This would be the first time since they began testing the bond that she would allow her basic wolf instincts to break free. For her to allow her human side to take a back seat to her wolf, and Josie's reaction to it scared her. She didn't want Josie to look at her like a monster.

She paused at the stream to take a drink, then quietly crossed. She could still hear Josie projecting her thoughts to her. She was still aware of the bond they shared, and knew Josie was aware that her human mind had slipped to the back, allowing her wolf to play freely.

She caught the scent of a deer, not long passed, and slowly followed it. Over the hill she went in between two thick trees, and into a clearing of just blooming wild flowers. She crouched down so the deer couldn't see her and waited until she was sure they preoccupied.

She pounced, leaping through the air, landing on the closet one, while the rest of them ran for safety. Her teeth sunk into its throat and it dropped almost instantly. She tore out a chunk, relishing in the blood she tasted. In the kill.

Her taste buds as a wolf were vastly different than her human ones. The meat she tore from its body tasted heavenly to her. More so than if the meat were cooked and flavored. If she were human, the raw meat would taste horrible, but as a wolf it was divine.

In that moment she didn't feel guilty for the life she took. She didn't feel dirty for the blood she lapped up and the raw meat she ate. She didn't feel wrong for being this way. She just felt free, and free is what she needed to be.

It was well into the night when Hope reluctantly made her way back to the mill. She would have been more than happy to spend the rest of the night out in the woods, running free, but she knew Josie was still waiting for her.

She approached the mill slowly, a small part of her afraid to know how Josie felt about her now that she'd experienced one of Hope dark sides. She was afraid that Josie would want to break the bond and their relationship because of it. It would make what Hope had to tell Josie that much harder.

Josie was laying up in their spot, the blankets and pillows she bought spread out, a dozen or so candles were lit, though they weren't floating like usual. It reminded Hope of this tv show she binged.

Josie smiled tiredly at her as she approached her and patted the bed next to her. _"It's okay Hope. I know you're not ready to change back yet. I'll stay with you."_

Hope whined lightly and pawed at the floor. She wanted to say something to Josie. To ask if she was alright now that knew what Hope liked to do while in wolf form, but even in her mind she couldn't form the words.

Josie seemed to understand what Hope was unable to ask. She patted the makeshift bed and said, _"I'm okay. Come lay. Please."_

Hope whined again, then move forward and laid down next to Josie, who tossed the blanket around her, and wrapped her arms around her and pulled herself closer. Josie whispered a spell to extinguish the candles, plunging them into near darkness. Not that Hope needed them to see anyways.

She relaxed into Josie's warm embrace and allowed the comforting emotions Josie was sending through the bond wash over her. She knew she would have to change back in the morning and deal with all the feelings she tried to outrun, but until then, she was happy to avoid the world as long as Josie was there with her.


	12. The Merge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter, I've mapped out the rest of the story and it looks like there will be about 20 chapters, maybe a few more depending on how many spur of the moment scenes I add. Seeing as I didn't think the story would be this long, it's likely to happen. I am incredibly happy for all of you who read this story and for all of you who take the time to review. I love hearing your thoughts. Thank you.

Chapter 12: The Merge

Josie was sitting on the docks, unsure of how she got there. The last thing she remembered was softly singing Hope to sleep and then bam, she was overlooking the lake at dusk. She turned when she heard soft footsteps on the dock and smiled when she saw that it was Hope.

Hope sat down next to her and grasped her hand. "So, who's dream do you think this is? Yours or mine?"

Josie looked over the orange kissed lake. "Oh. That makes sense. I couldn't figure out how I got here."

Hope kissed the hand she was holding and looked out over the lake. "I think it's mine we're in this time. It feels different than the last one. Stronger."

"Are you still in wolf form?" Josie asked.

"Yeah. I haven't shifted back yet," Hope solemnly said. "That's probably why it feels so real. Our connection is crazy strong when I'm a wolf. I could still hear you even though I'd let the wolf take over."

"Do you think we'll lose the connection if we aren't in the same vicinity?" Josie asked.

"Maybe," Hope answered. "Although I could feel you while you were an entire ocean away, so we might not lose that connection, so to speak. We should test it." She smiled at Josie sadly. "Thank you for giving me time last night. I'm sorry if that scared you."

"I know who you are Hope, and I accept that. Are you ready to talk about it?" Josie asked tentatively.

Hope sighed heavily and pulled her right knee up to her chest to hug. "It's hard to explain, and it's going to change our lives forever."

"Whatever it is, we'll face it together," Josie assured her.

Hope nodded her head and then turned to face Josie. She took the hand she still held and cupped it between her other. "I love you Josie." She took a deep breath as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I know it's still early in our relationship, but I need for you to hear it. I need to say it. I love you with every fiber of my being. I am so happy to have you in my life and I hope that we can spend the rest of our lives together and never lose an ounce of this love."

Josie smiled through heavy tears at Hope. Her chest expanding with more happiness than she ever thought was possible. "I love you too Hope."

She leaned forward and grasped Hope's bottom lip between her, putting every ounce of love she felt for Hope into the action. Hope kissed back, and pulled Josie closer to her, wrapping her arm around her waist.

The nice thing about being in a dream was there was no need to break apart to catch their breaths. Although they knew they were in a dream, it still felt as real as if they were actually sitting on the docks.

Josie broke the kiss when she remembered that Hope had something to tell her. Something that seemed like it was going to change everything. "What did you need to tell me?"

The happy look on Hope's face dropped into a sad look. "I asked you parents if I could be the one to tell you. I figured it would be less of a shock if I told you instead of them." She paused and bit her lower lip as she struggled with how to start. "How much do you know about your biological mother's coven?"

"Ah… Not much. Just that Lizzie and I are the last living decedents of the Gemini Coven, which is the only coven in the world to produce siphoner witches."

"Have you heard about something called the merge?

"No… What is it?"

Hope took an unnecessary deep breath. "There was a curse placed on the twins in your coven centuries ago," Hope began. She paused to clear her throat. An action she did out of anxiety instead of necessity. "When a set of twins turns twenty-two, they are force to take part in a ritual to see who will lead the Gemini coven. The stronger of the two absorbs the weaker, becoming one being, and that person becomes the leader and lifeline for the coven. If the person dies, so does every person still magically linked to the coven."

"So… Wait… Wait…" Josie stumbled and pushed away from Hope. She stood up and began pacing the dock, as she attempted to process the information. "Jo was a twin…" she said after a few minutes. "Did she do this? No… Lizzie and I would be dead then… No… Dad said the coven magically transplanted us into Mom's womb. That must have protected us." She suddenly stopped pacing and looked down at Hope in horror. Panic expanded in her chest making it hard to breath. She could feel her sleeping body hyperventilating. "Lizzie and I are the only twins in the coven. We're going to have to do this, aren't we? One of us is going to have to kill the other."

Hope jumped up and went to Josie. She grabbed her gently by the arms and smiled comfortingly at her. "No. You're not."

"But… b-b-but you said," Josie stuttered.

"You didn't let me finish," Hope said calmly, and rubbed her hands up and down Josie's arms trying to calm her. "Your mother's been searching for a way to stop this for years. That's why she's been gone all the time."

"And she found one?" Josie asked. Tears were steadily rolling down her cheeks.

Hope wiped away the tears and gave her a soft smile. "No, but Auntie Freya did."

Josie smiled, "She did? What is it?"

"Me…" Hope suddenly looked sad, which confused Josie. "When I formed the bond with you, that bond basically neutralized the curse."

"I don't understand."

"I guess Auntie Freya's been helping your parents search for a solution. When we learned about the bond, she had a hunch and confirmed it using old magic that I don't understand, and she refuses to teach me yet. She says it's very dangerous and should only be used as a last resort. What I do understand is that as long as you and I are bonded, completely bonded, you are more than just Lizzie's twin. You're also my mate. When we officially complete the bond, you are essentially giving me half of yourself and I am giving you half of myself. Two becomes one."

"That's if we complete the bond."

"Yes, if we don't complete the bond then you and Lizzie will have no choice but to do the merge."

"And if we complete the bond, we can never break it, or Lizzie and I will be forced to merge?"

Hope nodded her head sadly.

Josie brought her hands up to cup Hope's cheeks. "That's why you were upset yesterday. You felt trapped. I could feel it. I could feel how badly you needed to be free."

Hope nodded her head. "I'm sorry," she cried. "I love you so much. This just made it real, you know? Before we had a choice in this. It's was our choice, but now we have no choice but to complete the bond, or I will lose you, regardless of whether you win or lose the merge. You will never be the same if you're the one who survives."

"We still have a choice Hope," Josie said, the hurt she was feeling leaked heavily into her tone.

"No, we don't. I don't want to lose you Josie. I love you, and if the choice we have to make is between having you next to me for the rest of our lives or you and your sister fighting in some magical battle, I will choose being with you every single time. There isn't a choice there."

Josie started laughing through her tears, and then leaned forward to kiss Hope. "This is crazy Hope. What are the odds that the one solution to a centuries old curse is you? That is like destiny or something.

"That's exactly what this is… Destiny," she sighed, and then shook her head. "I mean think about what it took for us to get here. I was this cosmic hiccup, born by blood to a thousand-year-old vampire, werewolf hybrid, a brief two years before you and Lizzie were born to a vampire, magically implanted there by your dying coven. If that alone doesn't scream fate, then I don't know what does."

"Doesn't that terrify you?" She asked and the snorted to herself. "Of course it does. You spent the entire night as a wolf because of this."

"I was scared, and I needed to run and work through that, but that doesn't mean I love you any less. That doesn't mean I don't want to be bonded to you, because I do. Whether the choice is there for us to make or not, I want to complete the bond. I know that now. I want to share myself with you, completely."

"So do I, Hope," Josie said, and then kissed Hope again. She pulled back long enough to say, "I love you," then pulled Hope close.

Hope grabbed Josie's thighs and hoisted her up so she could wrap her legs around Hope's waist, then lowered her to the dock floor. She moved her lips away from Josie's and kissed along her jaw line to her neck. She found Josie pulse, marveling at how it felt thumping against her tongue, then sucked hard. Josie moaned loudly and pushed herself into Hope.

Hope pulled back and smiled widely at the dark mark she left behind.

"Hope," Josie husked. "Hope, I think you shifted back. Our dream doesn't feel as strong anymore."

"I did," Hope replied. "I don't want to stop this time."

Josie looked into Hope's dilated eyes. "Then we won't." She leaned forward and captured Hope's lips.

Hope's eye's opened first. She pulled the blanket over to fully cover her naked body, and then rolled over to face Josie. A smiled formed on her face before she opened her eye and leaned forward to kiss Hope.

"Wait," Hope said, and leaned back. She looked down at her semi-covered chest. There was caked blood and dirty covering her.

"It's okay. I can fix that," Josie whispered. She whispered the spell to light the candles, then gently pushed Hope onto her back. "May I?" She asked as she tugged on the blankets.

Hope nodded her head and allowed Josie to uncover her naked body.

"You're beautiful Hope," Josie smiled. She had seen Hope without her top on, but this was the first time she was seeing Hope completely naked. Even with all the dirt and blood, she was a marvel to look at. She held her hand over Hope and whispered, "Corpus abluere."

Hope felt a sudden gush of warmth rush over her skin and watched in awe as the dirt and blood disappeared from her body as Josie moved her hand over her.

"Feel better?" Josie asked.

"Much," Hope said with a smile.

"I learned this one the week the hot water heaters broke, and Dad refused to let us fix them magically. Much better than a cold shower."

"I cast a spell on the faucet head to heat the water," Hope smiled.

"You'll have to teach me that one," Josie said then straddle Hope waist. She bent forward, allowing her body to press against Hopes, and captured Hope's lips in a heated kiss. After a few moments she pulled back and asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Hope smiled widely, "I've never been surer of anything in my life."

Josie smiled, "I love you."

Hope carefully flipped them and stared into Josie's eyes. "I love you too."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope crawled up Josie's body, with the widest smile she had ever worn. For all the worrying she had done, going low was her new favorite thing to do. She laid her head on Josie's shoulder as her girlfriend came down from the high.

"It's a good thing you put up that silencing spell," she chuckled. She placed a gentle kiss at the base of Josie's neck, and then reached over her to grab the blankets. "Although, a warming spell would be good if we want to do this out here again."

Josie turned her head and kissed the top of Hope's head. She whispered the cleansing spell to remove the remnants of their love making and warm their cooled bodies at the same time. Then she wrapped her arms around Hope's body and hugged her tight. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Are you okay?" Josie asked.

Hope thought for a moment, then smiled into her chest. "Yeah. I'm great," she gushed happily. She looked up at Josie with worried eyes. "Are you okay? Did you…? I mean it sounded like you did, and it felt like you did, but did you?"

Josie chuckled. "Yes. I did. You were amazing, and I have never been better."

Hope sighed in relief and said, "Good. I liked doing that." She stared out into the clear starry night feeling lighter than she had in years. She never realized being with someone she loved would feel this freeing. She could hear Josie's heart beating beneath her ear, like a song playing just for her.

"What are you thinking about?" Josie asked lightly, the vibrations from her beautiful voice rippled through her body adding a new beat to the song.

"How your heart is beating a tune just for me," Hope sighed happily.

Josie chuckled and place a kiss on Hope's head. "What is the song saying?"

"I love you, Hope," Hope replied with a wide smile, then lifted her head. She smiled widely at Josie then propped herself with her arm. She leaned down and kissed Josie deeply, while cupping her cheek with her hand. She caressed her cheek with her thumb as she leaned back. "Thank you for understanding why I was upset, and for not being mad because of it."

"You were understanding and patient with me when I need time to accept the bond and what it meant for us. It's only right I should be the same for you. Besides, I think I'm the one who should be thanking you. After all, you're the one who is literally saving mine and Lizzie's lives."

"You never have to thank me for loving you," Hope said. "It's strange to think about, but I feel like I've loved you my entire life."

"I feel the same way," Josie agreed. "I guess in a way we probably have. We are basically soulmates, fated to be together. Our relationship was never going to be a normal one."

"I know. It's only been a few weeks and I already feel like my life is completely different, but in a really good way," Hope said.

"I supposed we're in a win, win situation," Josie said. "We get to experience a relationship that no one else in the whole world can, and you get to save me and Lizzie from my crazy ass witch heritage."

"And…" Hope said. "While we have little control over the bond happening, we do have six years before it absolutely must be completed, which gives us six years to choose when to do it."

Josie smiled widely at Hope's logic. "Which puts in firmly back into the 'our choice' column." She kissed Hope tenderly. "Thank you. I know you needed time to process this all, but you never once considered not doing this, did you?"

"No. I never considered not completing the bond once I learned why this crazy, only happens in fairytales, destined event happened."

"You're the most amazing person I have ever met," Josie gushed. She pulled Hope back down and they cuddled back up together.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Freya and Caroline were on a hunt for their missing niece and daughter. Not that they were worried about where they were. A quick locator spell told them they were fine and together in the old mill. No, they were both worried about how the girls were coping with what they learned, especially since neither had bother to show up to their morning classes.

"I'm sure they're doing fine," Caroline told Freya as they made their way to the mill, although the words were spoken more for her comfort than Freya's.

"Yeah," Freya agreed. "They're both strong young women, and they have each other to help weather whatever comes their way. They can handle this."

"We're just checking in with them. Making sure they're okay. Offering any support, we can give."

They came to the mill entrance and paused. Freya took a deep breath. "Rebekah's right. I've turned into a worrier," Freya commented.

Caroline snorted, "Welcome to parenthood."

Freya smiled. "Let's go make sure our girls are okay."

They made their way into the mill quietly, listening for the girls. "I think they like to sit upstairs," Caroline said, as she looked around the main floor.

They advanced up the stairs a little less quietly than they were being before. When they reached to top Freya paused and stopped Caroline. "Do you feel that?" she asked.

"No. What is it?"

"Magic. It's not Hope's signature. It must be Josie's."

"Is it a barrier spell?" Caroline asked as she raised her hand and went to see if her hand would stop.

"No. Stay here," she said, and then took several steps forward. She turned around and asked, "Can you hear me?"

Caroline could see Freya's lips moving but couldn't hear what she was saying. She took two steps forward. "Silencing spell."

"A powerful silencing spell," Freya said. "Josie's a strong witch."

They went around the corner and found the girls still asleep, cuddled together. Hope was laying on her back, with Josie cuddled into her side. The blanket that was over them was pulled up to their chins and tucked underneath their bodies, essentially cocooning them.

"It must have gotten cold," Caroline commented.

"I'm sure Hope's keeping them warm. She like a little heater sometimes," Freya commented. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and snapped a few pictures, while Caroline did the same. "Should we let them sleep a little while longer?"

"We should probably wake them," Caroline sighed, then looked at Freya. "It's almost noon. Any longer and they won't sleep tonight and will be grouchy tomorrow."

She bent down and softly shook Josie's shoulder. However, it was Hope's eyes that snapped open first. She looked up at Caroline with a freighted look, then visibly relaxed when she realized who was kneeling over them.

Caroline smiled down at Hope. "It's almost noon Hope," she said, and then stood back up, revealing Freya beside her. "When you didn't show up for your classes, we decided to come check on you."

Josie shifted beside Hope, jostling the blankets, allowing them to fall from her arm. Hope's eyes widened and she quickly grabbed the blanket and pulled it back up before the adults could see anything.

Hope used her left hand and started to tap Josie's back. "Josie. Josie. Your mom and Auntie Freya are here," she said frantically, although she was trying very hard to sound normal.

Freya looked at her niece strangely. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Hope answered. "We were just up late talking about everything and overslept. We should really get up and go to class."

"No somethings wrong," Freya insisted. "I know you. You look like you just got caught doing something you shouldn't ha…ve." Freya paused as she realized what was going on. "You didn't!?"

"Didn't what?" Caroline asked.

"Hope Andrea Mikaelson," Freya said sternly, her voice raised several octaves, as she spoke her niece's name.

Freya's raised voice jolted Josie awake. She sat up and looked at Hope disorient, unaware that they were not alone. The blanket that she pulled with her pooled around her waist, reveal her naked chest as well as Hope's.

Caroline squeaked and quickly turned around, while Freya groaned audibly brought her hand up to cover her eye's while dropping her head slightly. Josie realized they were not alone and quickly laid back down so both her and Hope were covered again. "Uh oh," she squeaked quietly.

"Please tell me they didn't do what I think they did?" Caroline begged with a heavy groan.

"You mean have sex knowing full well there is a possibility Josie could become pregnant?" Freya snipped.

"Yeah… That…" Caroline said and then turned to the girl. "Please tell us you are just naked, and nothing happened."

Josie and Hope gave them sheepish looks.

"I forgot," Josie said quietly to Hope.

"So did I," Hope said sheepishly.

"How?" Freya snapped lightly. "How could you forget about the one thing you weren't supposed to do. All you had to do was wait one week until Hope is mid-cycle, and I could perform the spell. One week!"

"Oh wait," Caroline said brightening up. "Josie how long ago was your period?"

Josie looked at her mother with another sheepish look and tentatively said, "Like two weeks ago."

"Uh… Did you at the very least practice safe sex?" Caroline asked.

"Um… no," Hope croaked.

"Hope was a virgin and I've only been with Pen before and Pen and her ex hadn't been with anyone else. I didn't see the reason for it," Josie explained.

"Ugh… Okay… It's okay… This will be fine... We'll just handle this like we would if Hope was a boy. With love and understanding. Sex is amazing. It's perfectly normal for your hormones to run wild and for you to want to act of those feeling. You had a momentary lapse in judgment and if you are pregnant, we'll handle it. Everything will be fine."

"Convinced yourself enough yet?" Freya asked amused.

"No… One magical pregnancy was enough for my very long life time, and I'm already looking at the product if two," Caroline half whined, half chuckled.

Freya sighed. "We'll go down stairs while you change, and then we'll go have lunch and talk about everything."

Hope and Josie nodded their heads, and then Caroline and Freya made their way back down stairs.

"I can't believe they did this," Freya sighed heavily as she sunk to the top step which leads out of the mill.

Caroline sat next to her. "I can. They're teenagers. Supernatural teenager who are in love and share a literal bond. I wish they would have waited, but it really was only a matter of time."

"I think we should be on the same page here," Freya said.

"I agree," Caroline said. "I think anger is useless here. What's done is done. We can't change it and I very much don't want my daughter to fear sex."

"I don't want Hope to either. They're in love and in a relationship neither of us can understand. They should feel free to express their feelings like every other couple. Normal or not." Freya sighed, "I am disappointed in Hope though. She knew very well we were contemplating this possibility, and only had to wait a week."

"Then we be disappointed about their rash decision making and for not being safe but understanding and loving about the sex part of it."

"Sounds like a plan," Freya agreed.

"I also think a lecture in safe sex is in order," Caroline declared.

"Agreed!"

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope groaned loudly as her aunt and headmistress made their way around the corner. She flopped backwards and pulled the blanket over her face. "I can't believe that just happened," she grumbled.

Josie sat up and pulled the blanket from Hope's face. "I can't believe we forgot that you might have a magical impregnating vagina."

Hope snorted then began laughing hysterically.

Josie's eyes widened at Hope. "It's not funny, Hope."

"Magical impregnating vagina," Hope through laughter.

Josie relaxed and smiled at Hope. "Okay. So maybe it's a little funny."

Hope sat up and gave Josie a chaste kiss on her lips. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too," Josie replied. She wrapped her arms around Hope's waist and laid her head on her shoulder. "What are we going to do if this isn't some fairytale story?"

Hope wrapped her arms around Josie and dropped a tender kiss on her head. "I guess we'll deal with it however you want."

Josie pulled back and gave Hope a shocked look. "Are you saying…?"

"It's your body Josie, not mine. I can be here for you, but it's your decision to make not mine, and I'll respect whatever decision you make."

"Even if you don't agree with it?"

"Even then," Hope said.

Josie smiled. "I would never make a decision without you."

Hope smiled softly. "Sometimes I wonder if someone cast a spell and now, we're just living in someone's fanfiction. Ancient werewolf mating rituals that are basically joining our souls together, magical creatures running around ripped right from our story books, and the possibility of me, biologically a girl, getting you pregnant. It's all too odd to be true."

"And yet here we sit having a very real conversation about it," Josie said.

"Yes. With both of us still very naked," Hope said, suddenly looking down at Josie's naked chest. Without meaning to she licked her lips.

Josie chuckled, and then stood up. "We better get dressed before we end up doing something our parents get upset about."

Hope eyes followed Josie's naked chest. "You're really beautiful."

"Thank you," Josie said. She smiled widely at Hope and offered her hand. Hope accepted the hand and stood as well. "You're not so bad on the eyes either, Miss Mikaelson."

Hope pulled Josie close to her and kissed her deeply. "The lapse in memory aside, I had an amazing time last night."

"So did I," Josie adamantly agreed. "I can't wait until we can do it again. Though, I think your aunt and my mom might have a heart attack if we don't wait until after the spell."

"We can wait a week," Hope said assuredly.

They dressed in silence and cleaned up their bed. Once everything was safely tucked back in the trunk, they went to join Freya and Caroline, both of whom were sitting on the steps idly talking about the upcoming fight.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope and Josie talked with Freya and Caroline for most of the afternoon. After the initial shock of what the girls had done wore off, both of them were actually pretty cool about it. They made the girl's promise to be safe if they had sex again until they were one hundred percent sure Hope couldn't impregnant Josie, even handing them a bag full of safe guards to ensure they kept the promise.

After they were certain the girls weren't going to risk putting a baby in Josie again, they move onto the actual reason they were going to find the girls. The wanted to make sure they were both that they were handling the news alright.

For the most part, Hope and Josie were doing okay. Knowing that they could choose when to complete the bond helped ease so of the anxiety that came along with the news, but they were both happy to know Josie wasn't going to have to do the merge with Lizzie.

Freya was happy to hear that they were handling the news well, but promised to keep searching for a permanent solution, just in case they did decide they wanted to break the bond down the road. Josie was grateful for that but didn't think it would be needed for them. She was worried about any children she and Lizzie had. While they have lucked into a fix that was likely the universe's doing, it was likely their own children wouldn't be as lucky, or their grandchildren.

The thought saddened Caroline deeply. She knew the pain of this kind of worry. The fear that one day you would lose both of her daughters. One to the merge and the other to the guilt for surviving the merge. For years she had worried. She would sit and watch her daughters sleep at night wondering if she was going to have to say goodbye to one of them at a young age, long before their time should end.

It pained her to think that one day, her own daughters might have to feel this pain, or her daughters' daughter. She promised Josie that she would not stop looking for a permeant fix until she found one, when Freya promised the same.

Freya understood better than most would what it was like to be cursed, unable to reverse it, forced to live her life knowing that the day would come when she would sleep again. She looked at her niece and felt for her. Perhaps one day they would like to have a child together and be right where Caroline was mere days before. Stuck knowing she was to lose one child to the other. It was that pain that she could only imagine, for she wasn't worried about a specific day in her daughter's life where she knew she was going to be forced to say goodbye. In all likelihood, it was her daughter who would have to say goodbye to her first. And yes, Caroline would likely out live both her daughters due to being a vampire, but that day shouldn't be at the prime of their lives. It should be when they are old and grey and lived a long and happy life.

After they left Caroline's office, the girls went back out to the mill to where their friends were surely waiting for them to start fight training. The only one not present was Lizzie, who had been called to Alaric's office an hour before. Caroline explained before they left that Alaric wanted to be the one to tell her and would come see them later on to talk.

Hope ran the group through the warm up exercises, even making the vampires join in despite not physically needing to do so. Once everyone was properly stretched out, Hope paired Josie and Landon up with Kaleb and MG retrospectively.

Penelope smirked at her as she moved to where Rafael was waiting for her. Hope wasn't sure if the smirk was because she had paired Landon up with MG hoping the two would share some sparks, or because she didn't pair Josie up with Rafael, who Hope knew shared a few kisses right after they came to school.

Truthfully, she refused to pair up with Rafael because she was almost certain he was still harboring feelings for Josie. Not that she didn't trust Josie, but she figured it would be easier on Raf to not be touching the one he was crushing on. It was the same reason she would never pair Josie up with Pen. She was trying very hard to limit the amount of pain her friend was dealing with, not add to it.

She was half way through teaching Josie, Landon, and Penelope a few basic defensive moves, just in case they ever found themselves in the grips of an enemy, when Lizzie came strolling into the mill with a determined look on her face.

Both Hope and Josie turned to look at her, gaging if she was alright. It was a moment later that everyone else stopped to look at Lizzie too. Lizzie had walked right up to Hope and pulled her into a big hug, pinning Hope's arms to her side in surprise.

"Thank you," Lizzie whispered in her ear.

Hope wasn't sure what to say. Lizzie and her had formed a tentative friendship since Hope was basically marrying her sister in a wolfy kind of way, but it wasn't a touchy-feely kind of friendship. Having Lizzie wrapped around her was strange, made even stranger by the blonde gentle and heartfelt tone and the tears she could feel on her neck.

She looked over Lizzie's shoulder and looked at Josie, who just shrugged and made a hugging motion with her arms.

Hope relaxed and brought her arms up and wrapped them around Lizzie's body. The blonde was much taller than Hope so there was a slight gap between them because Lizzie had to stoop to rest her head on Hope's shoulder.

"It's okay Lizzie," she said quietly. "There's no need to thank me."

"Yes, there is," Lizzie cried, and hugged Hope tighter.

Hope rubbed her hand soothingly up and down Lizzie's back. "All I'm doing is existing and loving Josie."

"And that's why I'm thanking you. I'm so happy you're here. I'm so happy you're alive and here and in love with my sister."

"Well that's nice to hear, but really Lizzie, I'm just happy to help, and it's not like I'm sacrificing anything to do this. Loving your sister is the easiest thing I've ever done."

Hope held onto Lizzie until the tears stopped and Lizzie let go, who discreetly wiped the tears away, then glared at the people staring at them. Hope watched in amusement as Landon and MG basically tripped over each other to look like they hadn't been staring. Rafael stiffen slightly and then joined MG and Landon. Both Kaleb and Penelope rolled their eyes at her and continued to watch. While Josie just smiled widely at her sister as she went to give her a hug of her own.

Josie looked over Lizzie's shoulder and smiled lovingly at Hope, who couldn't help but smile lovingly back.


	13. So?

Chapter 13: So?

"Hey…" Rafael yelled as he was suddenly flipped over Penelope's back magically. He landed on the mill floor with a heavy thud, expelling a thick gust of wind from his lungs. "Damn," he groaned as he looked up at Penelope, who was looking down at him with a smirk on her lips. "That hurt," he said, then rolled over and jumped up.

"Payback for that punch you landed earlier," she said, and then pointed to the black eye she had.

"I said I was sorry. You were supposed to go the other way," he grumbled.

"Well I didn't," Penelope said.

"I still think we should be a little more evenly matched," Raf stated.

Hope came up beside them and said, "Which is why you're not. The witches need to learn to defend against creature who are stronger and faster than them, and the vamps and you need to learn to defend yourselves against magical attacks. I have cream to fix Pen's eye, and you'll heal in no time at all. Until then, learn to push past the pain."

She stepped away from them and into the center of the room and clapped her hands, gathering the attention of the rest of her students. "The same goes for the rest of you. We have less than two weeks left until the full moon. That means I only have a little over a week to get you into fight shape, or the adult won't let you come with us."

"Yeah, but we've been kicking ass all week," Penelope said.

"You guys are doing great," Hope assured them.

"But…" Josie said.

"But Dr. Saltzman's a worrier. It's taken everything me, Caroline, and Auntie Freya have to get him to agree to you guys coming with."

"Then we'll have to prove we're good enough to join this fight," Kaleb said.

Hope looked down at her watch. It was already way past dinner time. "Alright you guys can go. Josie and I have somewhere to be. I want everyone here right after breakfast though."

The boys grumbled as they grabbed their duffle bags and left.

"You ready?" Hope asked Josie.

"Nope," Josie said as she shook her head.

"You finally going to find out?" Penelope asked.

"Yep. Auntie Freya can do the spell when the sun goes down."

"I still can't believe you may have impregnated by sister," Lizzie said with a glared.

"If I never hear the word impregnant again I will be one happy witch," Josie groaned.

"Same here," Hope agreed.

Josie wrapped her arm around Hope's shoulder. "Let's go prove you're just a normal girl."

They stepped out into the warm evening air, and slowly made their way back to the school. Hope looked back, and noticed Penelope and Lizzie weren't following. "I hope they aren't killing each other."

"What?" Josie asked.

"Pen and Liz, they aren't following us," Hope said.

They stopped walking and looked back at the mill. When neither girl stepped out of the building Josie asked, "You don't think they're… you know?

"No way," Hope said automatically. "I joked about to Pen about her asking Lizzie out and she laughed for like ten minutes straight at the idea."

"Then what do you think they're doing?"

"I don't know. Maybe they're fighting. Like practice fighting. Of course, it's Pen and Lizzie so they could really be fighting."

"I don't hear them yelling. Do you think we should go check on them?"

"No… No way…" Hope said, imagining all the possible things they could walk in on. "I'll ask Pen about it tonight. I'm supposed to sleep over in her dorm remember."

"Oh yeah," Josie pouted.

"Hey. I've barely gotten to spend any time with Pen all week. She's been off with MG, while I've been with you or my family."

"I know, I was just hoping we could go to our spot tonight," Josie sighed.

"Oh…" Hope said. Her eyes widened when she realized what Josie was implying. "Oh! Oh well I think Pen will understand if we chill another night."

"No. You spend tonight with Pen, but I want tomorrow night."

"I promise," Hope said. "Come on. I'm hungry. I kept us past dinner again. We should get something to eat before heading to my dorm room."

They went into the kitchens and found the boys doing the same thing they were planning on doing. They were all standing at the island digging into a pan of lasagna that was sitting in front of them. MG pulled two forks from the cup that was sitting in front of them and handed them to Hope.

Hope handed the second to Josie and asked, "Is that meat?"

"Yeah," Landon answered.

Hope set her fork on the table and went to the refrigerator and dug around until she found what she was looking for. She pulled it out and sat it on the counter.

"Since when do you not eat meat," Rafael asked, looking at the pan marked 'veggie'.

She pulled a plate out of the cupboard as she said, "Oh, I do. I am a wolf, remember? Josie doesn't eat meat though."

Josie took the plate from Hope. "Thank you."

"Your welcome," Hope replied, and then picked her fork up and dug into the meaty lasagna.

"You know, I never thought I'd see the day where Hope Mikaelson was the person we looked up to for relationship goals," jested MG.

"Ha ha," Hope smiled and gave him a little push.

"I never thought I see the day where Hope Mikaelson smiled," Kaleb joked, a playful smile on his lips.

"Ha ha. You guys are so funny. Just remember who's teaching who… I might decide it's time to test your skills out myself."

"Oh I'd pay to see that fight," Landon laughed.

"So would I," Kaleb said, looking intrigued. He stuck out his fist and said, "You and me. Tomorrow."

"You're on," Hope smiled, and bumped her fist against his.

Josie leaned forward and whispered in Hope's ear, "You're sexy as hell when you get all macho. I wanna eat you up instead of this lasagna."

Hope's eye's widened comically and her mouth dropped lightly, and she coughed as she choked on her food. When she looked over at Josie, she was eating her food as though nothing had happened, while the boys were all looking at her with concerned looks.

She shrugged her shoulders and got another bite. When she was sure the boy's attention was back on their conversation she looked back over at Josie and gave her a pointed look, who just smiled innocently back at her.

They chatted with the guys while they ate their fill, then excused themselves. When they made it to Hope's hallway, she pulled Josie past her door and gently pushed her into the little alcove near the window. She pressed her body against Josie's and kissed her feverously. She pulled back and husked, "That wasn't very nice." Then leaned forward and attached her lips onto Josie's pulse, sucking just hard enough to lure a soft moan from Josie, but not hard enough to leave a mark.

"If this… ahh… is the re-response… mmm… I get, then I'm… not s-sorry," Josie fumbled through soft moans and heavy pants.

Hope pulled back and smiled. "I suppose I can forgive you. If you promise to make good on your devilish little whisper."

Josie smiled wide and then quickly switched their positions using a reversal spell. She leaned down and kissed Hope soundly before pulling back and saying. "I always make good on my promises." She smiled sweetly at Hope and then turned around and walked to Hope's room.

Hope stayed against the wall as she forced her racing hormones to settle, then headed down the hall, past her room, and into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she entered her dorm room expecting to find the room full of aunts only to find one. Freya was sitting on Hope's bed with a book in her lap, and Josie right next to her. "Where is everyone?"

"Keelin went into town to get somethings for the baby, and Rebekah took Faith outside to play the vamp speed peekaboo game that they love to do."

"Aunt Freya was showing me baby pictures of you," Josie smiled widely. "You were such a cutie."

Hope smiled softly. "I'm sure you were even cuter."

Freya closed the book and sat it on the bed. "So, you ready to find out if you're able to make a baby with Josie?"

"I think I like impregnant better than make a baby, but yeah," Hope said.

"Then let's get this over with," Freya said. She pointed to the floor where there were half a dozen thick green candles sitting in a circle, with a wide wooden bowl in the center.

"How does this work?" Hope asked as she stepped into the circle.

"Sit with your legs crossed and place the bowl in your lap," Freya instructed, and then sat in front of her. She handed Hope pocket knife. "I took two fertility spells, one for men and one for woman and combined them. I've already tested the spell on Keelin and Vincent to make sure we would be able to tell the difference, as well as one of Keelin's witch patients who was born with both sex organs. You're going to fill the bowl up with your blood, just enough so the bottom is covered, and then Josie and I will chant the spell as we practiced yesterday. If you are only able to get pregnant then the blood will glow bright red. If you are only able to get someone pregnant the blood with turn white. If you are able to do both, then the blood will separate. One half will turn white, and the other half will glow bright red."

"And if I can't do either?" Hope asked softly, unable to look up at her aunt or Josie.

"Then the blood will do nothing," Freya said solemnly and reached into the circle to grab Hope's hand. "If you can't do either, then well deal with it how ever you want. All you have to do is say the word."

Hope nodded her head and then leaned back slightly when she felt Josie's hand squeezing her shoulder. She didn't now how she wanted this test to turn out. On one hand she thought it would be cool knowing her and Josie could have a baby that is genetically theirs, but on the other hand she didn't even know if she wanted kids at all. Plus, she wasn't sure if she wanted to burden any children, they may have with her weird tribrid genes, but the thought of never being able to have a child of her own left a sad feeling in her chest. It was one big messed up situation where she just didn't know what she felt or wanted except that she was too damn young to even contemplating any of this.

"Let just do this. There's no sense in worrying until we know for sure what's going to happen," Hope said. She handed the knife back to her aunt and then turned to Josie. "Can you get the tourniquet and needle from my top draw?"

Josie nodded her head and went to get the items Hope wanted.

"Why do you have those in your draws?" Freya asked sternly.

Hope shrugged her shoulders and nonchalantly stated, "To feed Auntie Bex without her knowing it."

Freya's mouth dropped open slightly. "You were giving Rebekah your blood without her knowing it."

Hope accepted the items from Josie with a smile, and then handed the rubber band to Freya. "How else was I supposed to do it? She hates the school's animal blood, Caroline hadn't gotten any real blood yet, and she never would have accepted it if I had offered it to her. It was either this, or slowly watch Auntie Bex go mad craving the real stuff until one day she would snap and attack someone and then Doctor Saltzman would kick her out, probably after staking her with his crossbow a few times."

Freya took the tourniquet from Hope, with a slightly amused look on her face. "I take it the only reason you stopped was because Caroline and Rebekah went on blood run."

"Yeah. Caroline wasn't happy when her daughters began bringing her mugs of my blood," Hope answered, and then stuck the needle into her arm.

Freya's eyes widened in a look of horror and amusement. "You didn't."

"In my defense, I had just come to common ground with Lizzie and I couldn't say no to her. Besides, she was ready to tap her own vein, and I couldn't feed Caroline her own daughter's blood."

"How did that even come up?" Freya asked amused.

Hope pulled the needle from her vein and tossed it to the side along with the tourniquet. "It was the day I told her about our plan to close Malivore. We finished talking and I asked her to help fill up a mug for Auntie Bex. It's easier with someone helping me. She asked why I was doing it when the school has blood, so I explained about the animal blood. She hadn't realized it wasn't human, and the school doesn't explain what happens to a vampire who doesn't drink human blood. She was pretty persistent after that. She wanted to fill a mug up herself, but that wouldn't have gone over well. I knew that Caroline would accept the blood if Lizzie gave it to her. That's how that got started."

"If it makes you feel better, we both got lectured for doing it," Josie added.

"A little bit, yeah," Freya said, then chuckled. "This is something your father would do. You do have the very best of his traits. I'm sure he'd be incredibly proud of you for trying to take care of the people he loved. Just please at the very least let people know it's your blood their drinking, that way they have the opportunity to say no if they wish."

"Sure Auntie Freya," Hope assured her.

"Alright. Let's get this over with," Freya said.

Josie and Freya chanted the spell they had practice the night before, three times, then sat back and waited for the spell to work. A full minute passed, and nothing happened. Hope looked up in horror. "Maybe you did the spell wrong," she suggested hopefully.

"I'm sorry honey," laminated Freya.

"But…" Hope sighed as she looked down at the bowl. "I just want the choice," she mumbled. This was just another thing in a very long list of things that she didn't get to choose, and it hurt. Maybe she didn't care about having a baby biologically linked to her, but she at least wanted to be able to make that choice with Josie. One day in the future when they were both ready, and now that choice was taken away from her.

Josie got on her knees and carefully leaned forward between two of the candles and place her hands on Hope's shoulders. The second her hands touched her the blood started to glow bright red and separated into two equal portions.

"Wow," she said and looked up at Freya in shock, who was looking at the bowl with the same level of surprise.

Josie took her hands off Hope and the blood stopped glowing and it sloshed back into one component. She tentatively put them back and the glowing returned, and the blood once again separated into two portions. She looked up at Freya and asked, "What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure," Freya said unsurely. She stuck out her hand and closed her fist one finger at a time then turned her hand upwards. All the candles extinguished at once and the blood in the bowl stopped glowing. She smiled comfortingly at them. "I can say for certain that you cannot get Josie pregnant. No white means no way to impregnating your girlfriend."

Both girls groaned.

"Can we please never say that word again?" Josie begged.

Freya chuckled, "Sure. As to what happened, I think it might have to do with bond. We still don't know enough about it and what is happening between the two of you. We're playing a guessing game. But you can at least relax about this."

Hope physically relaxed and reached over her shoulder to cup the hands still resting on her shoulders. "Thanks Auntie Freya."

"You're welcome honey," Freya said. She leaned forward and placed a loving kiss on Hope's forehead, and then reach out and cupped Josie's cheek with a gentle smile. She stood up, taking the bowl of blood with her. "You girls go do teenage things. I'll clean up."

"Thanks," Hope said, as she and Josie stood up. "Penelope's probably wondering where I am."

She went to the closet and grabbed her prepacked backpack and then reached for Josie's hand. The both said bye to Freya as they left.

Josie pulled them back to the alcove, although she sat in one of the chairs there, and pulled Hope down to sit in her lap. Hope allowed her body to relax into Josie's and leaned down for a loving kiss.

Hope pulled back with a smile on her face, and whispered, "We can have sex again. No more teasing."

"I kind of liked the teasing. You get this adorable frustrated look on your face when I pull away."

"Have I mention how evil you can be?"

"One or twice," Josie chuckled. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course you can. You don't ever have to ask or be afraid of being honest," Hope assured her. "Besides, I can feel when you're lying or holding back from me so there really is no sense in trying to do it."

"True," Josie smiled. "I just…" she paused and took a deep breath. "I guess a part of me was hoping that maybe one day we would be able to have a baby that is a part of both of us. I know it's silly. I'll love any baby we have regardless of where they come from. Just like my mom loves me and Lizzie. I guess I just liked the idea of it."

"You wanted the choice," Hope summed up. "I get it. I don't even know if I want kids yet, but when the blood did nothing, I was disappointed. I want that choice to be there for when we are ready to have a baby, and in those two minutes, that choice was stolen from us."

"We do have choices though," Josie said with a sad smile. "I may not be able to carry your baby, but we still have the choice between one of us or adoption."

"Yes we do. We do have choices we can make; in many years when we aren't teenagers still in school and are responsible adults."

Josie chuckled, "Is that your not so subtle way of telling me you're ready to move past this discussion?"

"No," Hope said, jutting out her bottom lip slightly. "That's my not so subtle way of telling you that I love you and would like very much to pick this conversation up again in about five or so years from now."

Josie chuckled, "Let's make it ten and you have a deal."

Hope smiled widely at Josie and leaned down for another kiss. She tugged lightly on Josie's bottom lip as she pulled away again. "I wonder if Pen will care if I'm an hour late?"

"That depends on what she was doing with my sister," Josie said.

"Oh… I forgot about that," Hope said. "I wonder what that was all about. It can't have been good though. I've never seen them stay in the same area for more than a few minutes without one of them being snarky to the other."

"We should try and find out," Josie told her. "I'll work on Lizzie tonight, while you work on Pen. Maybe we'll get lucky and one of them will spill."

Hope nodded her head, leaned down for a chaste kiss, and then stood up, pulling Josie up with her. "We'll compare note after training." She pulled Josie down for another kiss then headed for Penelope's room.

Penelope opened the door just a few seconds after Hope knocked and practically yanked her into the room. Her roommate was sitting on her bed with her tablet in her lap glaring at them, not that Hope time to get a good look at her, because Penelope was pulling her across the room.

"Did you buy a tent?" Hope asked. Penelope had stopped pulling her long enough for her to notice the tall domed tent sitting where they had built their fort the week before.

"No," she said, and then pulled Hope through the door, and zipped it up behind her. She whispered the silencing spell, and then grin at Hope. "I found it in the basement with a bunch of other camping gear."

She shrugged her shoulders and then laid on her bed, which was sitting in the center on the tent, with enough room on either side for the girls to set whatever they would need too. Drinks, snacks, shoes…

"So come on," Penelope said and patted the bed beside her. "Don't keep me in suspense. Can you get JoJo pregnant or not?"

Hope knelt on the bed with her bag in front of her. "Not," she said as she rummaged through the bag. She pulled out a small tin and then pushed her bag off the bed. She took her shoes off and crawled up the bed to sit beside Penelope. "Which is a good thing. We think."

"You were hoping you could, weren't you?" Penelope said slyly.

Hope opened the tin and scooped out a small bit on her right middle finger and started coating Penelope's swollen back eye. "Josie was a little. She liked the idea of it, and I liked having that choice, but I can't so the small part of us that was hoping for it is moot."

"It would be pretty badass though. Ow. Take it easy. I hope you aren't this rough when you play with Josie."

Hope purposely pushed a little harder.

"Ow… Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Geeze."

"There, you're all done," Hope said, and then close the tin. "Here keep it. I'll make more if you need it. It should start healing in about a minute." She rolled over to grab her pajamas out of her bag. "You know, we don't have to talk about Josie."

"Then what else are we supposed to talk about. She's literally half of who you are now," Penelope said.

Hope laid back on the bed and pulled her bottoms on, then rolled over to look at Penelope. "I just mean, that I know you're still struggling with me and Josie being together, and that's okay. You don't have to put yourself through more pain just to make it seem like you're okay. You can just be yourself with me."

"I know I can Hope, and this is how I'm dealing with it. I promise I'm okay."

"Alright," Hope said, and then grinned. "So, did you take my advice about asking Lizzie out?"

"What? No way!"

"Then what were you two doing after practice? You and Lizzie never followed us back to school. We even waited a few minutes before we headed in."

"Oh… Well…" Penelope stumbled. "We were…" She sighed heavily. "We were just arguing. You know how Lizzie is. Everything has to be her way, or she freaks out."

"What had to be her way?" Hope asked curiously.

"Well… I can't tell you that," Penelope said.

"Why not?"

"Because if you know about it, then Josie will know about it, and then Lizzie's surprise for her will be ruined."

"What surprise? And why are you helping her with it."

"Again. I can't tell you, because Josie will know, and I'm help Lizzie for the same reason. It's not like you can help her."

"And you're actually helping her?" Hope asked suspiciously. Something sounded off to her.

"Well, yeah. She's actually doing something nice for once. Hard to say no when the most self-absorbed person in school wants to do something nice for someone else."

Hope opened her mouth and then closed it again. That actually made sense in the, there was no way to argue against that answer, so it had to be true. "Alright. I guess I can accept that."

"Good. Never mention me asking Lizzie out again please. It creeps me out."

Hope chuckled, "Fine."

"Oh!" Penelope exclaimed looking very happy all of a sudden. "I was totally right about Landon being Bi. I convinced MG to ask him out and he said yes."

Hope's jaw dropped slightly. "It hasn't even been a full week since we talked about that. How did you get him to do that so fast?"

"Trust me, it wasn't easy. MG's infatuation with Lizzie ran deep. It took nearly every second I've spent with him to get him to see that he was never going to get Lizzie. Once I finally had him convinced it wasn't hard to place the Landon seed in his horny little boy mind. After that all I had to do is sit back and watch the magic happen. It didn't hurt that you've been pairing him up with Landon all week."

"I may have been doing that on purpose," Hope smirked.

"I figured. You know, if we really set our minds to something, we could be an unstoppable force."

"Yeah. Probably," Hope shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, we should find you someone. Is there anyone in this school who you've noticed?"

"No. Just Josie," Penelope said solemnly.

"Come on… There has to be someone you at least think is cute."

"I think a lot of people are cute, but Jo's the only one who've I've crushed on."

"Then we'll just have to go boo hunting," Hope said with a smile.

"Boo hunting?" she asked with a chuckled.

"Yeah. Josie's my booboo and we need to find you a booboo. So, we're going boo hunting."

Penelope laugh rang through the small tent, bouncing off the silencing spell, surrounding them with the sweet sound. "It sounds even more sillier when you explain it, but okay, I'm game for some boo hunting. Do we need to capture a spirit in order to capture a boo?"

Hope gasped and lightly tapped her friend on the arm. "You're mean sometimes!"

Penelope just laughed harder, and after a moment Hope joined in. It felt good to hear Penelope laughing and it seemed though her laughter was contagious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys. Before you go, I just want to address the baby thing. I know a lot of you were hoping Hope had that ability. When I first added it into the story it was just supposed to be a way to emphasize the fact that we have no idea the extent of Hope's abilities, and for a little humor. I thought everyone's reactions in that scene were funny. (I hope you did as well) Honesty after your responses, I was considering it. I actually didn't decided which way I was going until I wrote this chapter.
> 
> That being said, I think now is the time to tell you I have sequels (yes, as in more than 1) planned. Since I did have so many who wanted a Hosie baby, I am planning on one of those sequels (I won't tell you which just so you're at least a little surprised when it happens) to be a Hosie baby fic.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who reviewed and to all the lovely people who are taking the time to read this. I am really happy you all like the story, and aren't too disappointed with my decision.


	14. Fighting and Friendships

Hope found herself being flung up into a tree, her back hitting a thick branch. She quickly grabbed the branch and swung herself forward, doing a backflip as she fell back to the ground. She landed gracefully in front of Kaleb, who was the one who had tossed her up there. He stood with his mouth slight open and his eyes widened.

"Damn," he mumbled expelling a heavy gust of air.

When they had started this fight, they had been in the mill, but it quickly became clear that if they didn't take the fight outside, they would bring the mill down around them. Hope happened to like having the mill there to share moments with Josie, so she unceremoniously kicked Kaleb out the entrance, where her rolled backwards. Their friends followed them outside and found a safe place to stand several yards away, so they didn't accidental get caught up in their fight.

Hope was covered in blood, both hers and his. They each had given just as good as they got, and despite the brief pain she felt when Kaleb would land a good shot, she was enjoying the fight. It was nice to be more evenly matched for once. She didn't have to pull her punches or worry about hurting her partner too badly. As long as she didn't accidently take Kaleb's head off, he would be fine.

Still, she could see that he was waning. While Hope had a nearly endless supply of energy, Kaleb was weakened from the lack of human blood. Something she noticed right away. He put up one hell of a fight though, and since she didn't want to embarrass him too badly, she kept the fight going. It was time to end it though. She could see how badly he was hurting, and the last punch she landed still hadn't healed, which meant he needed blood, badly.

Kaleb was still looking at his in awe, so she took his moment of weakness to take him down. She kicked him in the chest, causing him to fly across the yard a few feet, and then pounced on him, pinning him to the ground with on hand. He looked up at her with surprise written all over his face, clearly not expecting her to make the sudden move.

She grinned down at him. "You did good," she said, and extended her arm out for him to take.

He looked skeptical at first, but took the offered hand, allowing her to pull his tired body off the ground. "Gotta say Mikaelson. You are hot as hell. Never thought I'd be so happy to have my ass handed to me by a girl."

Hope chuckled, and then bit into her wrist and offered it to him. He looked at her questioningly. She just nodded her head toward the wrist. He took the wrist gratefully and took just enough blood to heal his ragged body.

"I'll talk to Doctor Saltzman about allowing you and MG to drink human blood," She told him. "You need to be at your best for the fight."

He wiped his mouth and smiled. "Thanks. We could use the boost, right MG?" He turned to where his friends were standing, to find the person her was talking to missing. "Where'd MG go?"

"He left a few minutes after you moved out here," Landon said. "He said he forgot he had something to do and then left."

"That's strange," Kaleb said, and the shrugged. "It must have been important. MG didn't shut up about this fight at all last night."

"I'm gonna go see if he's alright," Landon said, then walked away from them with his hand in his coat pockets.

"I should go take a shower," Hope said as she wiped her sweaty forehead, smudging dirt and blood there. She smiled when she realized she was actually sweating. The only other time she actually exerted herself enough to do that, was her nighttime activities with Josie less than a week before hand.

Thinking of which, she stepped up next to Josie and whispered, "Care to join me?" Just loud enough for Josie to hear. She couldn't wait until the bond was completed and then she could talk to Josie through their thoughts, instead of risking others hearing them.

Josie smiled and nodded her head.

Hope smiled back and then turned to the group. "Same time tomorrow guys."

"Alright badass," Kaleb said and then put his fist up. "Good fight. You ever wanna do it again, just say the word."

Hope bumped his fist with a smile. "Same back."

Kaleb nodded his head and then left.

"I'm going to take a shower before lunch. I actually worked up a sweat."

Lizzie snorted. "You're so weird sometimes. You actually look happy about being all sweaty, bloody, and grimy."

Hope shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "I usually have to hold back so I don't accidentally kill your dad. It was nice being able to just let go."

"I guess I should thank you for that, but I'm still weirded out by your strange relationship with him, so I won't." Lizzie shrugged her shoulders and left without another word.

"Um… Is she having a bad day?" Hope asked, worried about Lizzie's clipped attitude towards her. She'd been a lot nicer to her as of late.

Josie sighed. "She's been moody for days. I don't know why. She is refusing to talk to me about it."

"Do you know?" Hope asked Penelope.

Penelope looked at Hope as though she'd lost her mind. "What? I spend a few minutes with Lizzie to help her with something and you think she spilled her guts to me. This is Lizzie we're talking about. The girl who I can't stand on her very best of days."

"I was asking because of the thing…" Hope said evasively.

"Oh," Penelope said. She gave Hope a guilty look. "Sorry. I don't think that's it. She seemed excited when we talked. A little high strung, but when isn't she?"

"Then maybe I should talk to her," Hope suggested.

"That's a great idea," Josie said encouragingly. "After you take a shower though…"

"Yeah. After I shower," Hope agreed adamantly. "We'll see you later P."

Hope took Josie's hand and gently pulled her towards the school eager to finish what they had barely managed to stop all week.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

After their shower, Hope spilt away from her love to go find her love's sister. Having already check her room, she went to find the boys, as Lizzie was most likely to be with one of them. She found Kaleb in the gym working out. He said he hadn't seen her, so he went in search on MG. He wasn't in the common areas, so she checked his room, where she found him with Landon. Neither of them had seen her, so she went to Raf's room on the off chance they rekindled this. She struck out again. Annoyed that Lizzie seemed to be nowhere, she went back to her own room to grab the items she needed for locator spell. One that would point her towards Lizzie like a compass.

When she opened the door, she was shocked to find the object of her search sitting in the center of the open floor with her aunt Freya sitting across from her. "I've been looking everywhere for you, Lizzie."

Lizzie opened her eyes and looked up at Hope. "Here I've been."

"You weren't here when I dropped my shower things off," Hope pointed out.

"She came a few minute later," Freya explained. "We're working on calming her mind. Do you want to join us?"

"Ah no, you do your thing. I just wanted to make sure you're okay Lizzie. You seemed a little…"

"Bitchy?" Lizzie stated. "I'm having a bitchy day. I'm allowed to have a bitchy day without you and my sister worrying about me. Okay?"

Hope threw her hands in the air. "Alright. You can have your bitchy day."

Lizzie sighed heavily, "I'm sorry. I know you care… Which is still weird by the way. I'm just having an off day. That's all. There's nothing to worry about. Go spend time with Josie. I'll be here with your aunt learning mind voodoo."

Freya smiled at Lizzie's comment.

"Okay," Hope said. "I'm here if you want to talk though."

"I know," Lizzie sighed. "Thanks."

Hope went to Josie's room. Unlike her sister, Hope knew exactly where Josie was, so there was no need to hunt for her. Josie was sitting at her desk when she entered, not bothering to knock because she knew Josie knew she was coming. Another perk of their bond.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Josie asked. She could feel through their bond that she had found Lizzie and that she was okay.

"Yeah. She says she's just having an off day and that she's fine. She's with Auntie Freya, so I don't think we should worry too much."

"I always worry. I'm pretty sure it's in the sister handbook somewhere," Josie joked lightly, though Hope knew there was a part of her that was serious about worrying over Lizzie.

"Then how about I take your mind off of your sister for a while," Hope purred.

"Mmm. Miss Mikaelson. What if my sister walks in on us?"

Hope shrugged her shoulders. "We have a little while. We could go to the mill if you want."

Josie stood up and sauntered towards Hope. She wrapped her arms around Hope's shoulders. "No. I think it'd be nice to be in an actual bed this time," she smirked and then pushed Hope backwards to her bed. Hope sat once she felt the bed against her legs and looked up with hungry eyes as Josie took off her shirt.

Some time later, they were wrapped up in each other's arms, legs entwined together. "Twice in one day," Josie purred and kissed Hope. "I could get used to this."

Hope smiled into the kiss. "I don't think we'll get this lucky again for a while. At least not until my family leaves, and I have my room to myself. Then we can do it as many times as you want."

"When is that again?" Josie asked innocently, causing Hope to chuckle lightly.

"Auntie Freya says they're going to stay until after my birthday. They had this big dinner planned for me. Uncle Kol and Aunt Davina are even flying in for it. She says none of them want to miss my eighteenth."

"Mmm. Eighteen is a special day. You'll officially be an adult. Is there anything you want?"

Hope smiled again and honestly said, "Just you." She captured Josie's lips in a loving kiss, then moved to Josie's neck She sucked lightly on Josie's pulse and smiled when Josie moaned loudly. "How about we make it three times," she purred as she straddled Josie, who smiled up at her and pulled her down into a heated kiss.

Hope's hands had just began to move lightly down Josie's body when the door opened and in walked Lizzie. Hope slid off Josie in shock, and then fell off the bed taking the blankets with her.

Josie looked at Hope in shock and then up at Lizzie, who was standing in the doorway looking at them in shock. "Close the door Lizzie," she yelled.

Lizzie closed the door behind her and then glared down at Hope, who was peeking over the bed sheepishly. "You marked my sister," she roared.

Hope stood up and with the blankets covering her body and crawled back into the bed to cover up Josie, and the mark Hope had purposely placed over her heart. "I'm a wolf. We like to mark things. I didn't mark her in a place anyone can see. I'm not that possessive. I just like looking at it when it's just us, and so she remembers me when she sees it. Besides, she marked me too. Well she tried to anyways. Several times in fact." She looked down at her cover chest with a small pout. "My stupid rapid healing prevented the mark from staying."

A disgusted look crossed Lizzie's face. "If you two are going to use our room for your sexcapades, then we should come up with some kind of way to let me know not to enter."

"The locked door should have been a clue not to come in," Hope said.

"The door wasn't locked," Lizzie deadpanned.

Hope and Josie looked at each other and said, "I thought you locked it," at the same time. They smiled and Hope shook her head. "I guess our rationality and the bond goes out the window when were horny."

"Eww. Please never use that word when you're talking about my sister. It's gross," Lizzie said as she dramatically rubbed her ears.

"Turn around so we can get dressed," Hope said. When Lizzie had turned around, she slipped from the bed, and whispered the cleansing spell Josie taught her, removing any trance of their lovemaking from their bodies. Which upset Hope a little. She loved how Josie smelled when they made love. She knew it was the wolf in her that wished to have Josie's unique scent all over her, but she knew if she could smell it, so could the other wolves and the vampires. She would have to settle for Josie's everyday scent instead.

"You can look," Hope commanded once they were both dressed again. "When my family leaves, we'll use my room, I promise."

"Just warn me next time," Lizzie said, then handed a folded-up piece of paper. "This floated in a few minutes ago. Your aunt asked me to give it to you."

Hope took the paper and read it curiously. "Your dad wants to see me."

"Why?"

"Doesn't say, but it's probably about Malivore," Hope said. She gave Josie a kiss and then made her way down to Alaric's office. There was no one outside the office so she walked in without knocking, which wasn't an unusual occurrence. Hope hade unlimited access to his office. It was his way of showing that he trusted her.

She paused at the door when she realized Alaric wasn't alone. Penelope was sitting in front of his desk, looking irritated.

"Come sit Hope," he said in his dad voice. She groaned quietly at the tone, knowing whatever he was about to say, she wasn't going to like. She sat next to Penelope and looked at her questioningly. "So, a complaint has been made against the two of you."

A feeling of Déjà vu washed over Hope. "Again?"

"Again," he sighed.

"Let me guess," Penelope growled lowly. "My roommate again."

"Yes, with a nearly identical complaint. The two of you destroyed your room and stayed up all night talking and doing magic. The only difference to her story was the tent you pitched in your room." He sat forward and asked, "You really pitched a tent in your room?"

Penelope shrugged her shoulders. "It was better than the fort of blankets we made before, and you said I could use the tent I found."

"Yeah, because I figured you and Hope were going to use the tent outside. Like tents are supposed to be used."

"I guess you should have made sure before you gave me permission," Penelope snarked.

"Yeah, well I will next time," he said and then sat back in his chair. "I'm in an impossible situation here girls. Hope I am so incredible happy that you are finally getting out of your dorm and hanging with people your own age. The problem here is that I have given you special liberties that no one else in this school, even my own daughters, have. She's made two complaints, nearly identical, in the same week. Hope, you may not be aware of the rules, but Penelope is. This is not the first time we've had this discussion. Two complaints in the same week means?"

"Detention," Penelope grumbled.

"That's right."

"Come on Doctor Saltzman. Mary is a bitch. She's had it out for me ever since school started."

"Bitch or not, you have to find a way to get along with her for the rest of the year," Alaric said. "Listen, I get it. I know how hard it is to live with someone you can't stand, and I've made it clear that the next time she comes to me with a complaint it had better not be a frivolous one. But I am going to make it clear to you as well. No more sleepovers unless they're in Hope's room, or you'll both be working in the kitchens for a month. I'd rather not spend the rest of the year fielding complaints from your bitchy roommate."

"Even on the weeknights?" Hope asked.

"Sure," he said waving his hand at them. "Even on school nights, but if either of you start slacking off or falling asleep in class it'll be weekends only again. And make sure the hall monitor knows where you are. I'd rather not get a call because they think you're missing. Alright?"

Both girls nodded their heads.

"Good. Now get out of here before I decide a little manual labor is a good character builder."

Penelope got up to leave but Hope stayed.

"You go ahead. I need to talk to Doctor Saltzman." Penelope nodded her head and then left.

"So you're going to want to say no, but I need you to hear me out," Hope said.

"Okay," Alaric said and then leaned back in his chair.

"I need you to give Kaleb and MG permission to drink human blood. I need both of them at their best and that isn't going to happen if their drinking animal blood."

Alaric was silent for a few moments, then leaned forward and said, "Fine. I'll give Kaleb permission and access to bagged human blood, but not MG."

Hope gave him a look that was a cross between confused and that makes no sense. "Why?"

Alaric returned her look with a confused look of his own. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"MG can't control himself when he drinks human blood," Alaric explained.

Hope's eyes widened and her mouth dropped slightly. "MG's a ripper?"

He nodded his head. "Kaleb took him out drinking and he nearly killed someone."

"Doctor Saltzman, why didn't you tell me this? He can't come with us if he can't control himself."

"I thought you knew, Hope," Alaric said. "I thought he was staying behind with Landon.

Hope looked at him in disbelief. She flopped back in her chair and brought her hand up to her head. "How the hell am I going to tell him he couldn't come?"

"I'll break it to him. It's not your job."

She dropped her hand. "Of course it's my job. I'm training them for this. I'm the one who is going to walk them into that fight. If something happens to one of them, it will be on my hands. They are my responsibility."

"No Hope. You all are my responsibility," Alaric insisted. He stood up and move to the chair next to Hope. "Do you know why I agreed to let my daughters and your friends go."

"Because you think Auntie Freya and I are being paranoid and you don't think Malivore can spit more than one monster out at a time," Hope said, repeating what he had said when she and Freya explained their plan to him.

"Well yes, but I also know that you're probably right. I agreed to let them go with you because I trust you. I trust you to teach them everything I've taught you. I trust you to lead them. I trust you to make the right decisions regarding them and their safety. You've already proven that you are ready for something like this. You made it clear Landon and Raf can't join you and you are benching MG, which is exactly what I would have done."

"Thanks Doctor Saltzman," Hope smiled.

After leaving Alaric's office Hope decided to head to the mill to wolf out. She and Josie had been working on Hope's ability to perform magic while in wolf form all week and she had gotten pretty good.

Hope shifted and then mentally said, "I>Hi," to Josie.

" _Hello_ ," Josie responded.

" _Did I scare you_?" she asked.

" _No. I felt you shift_."

" _Does it bother you that we will basically know exactly what the other is doing all the time_?" Hope asked worried. They had been doing that all week too. Coming up with different scenarios that they might not like because of the bond.

" _Maybe, but that just means you can never cheat of me_ ," Josie joked, the humor bleeding in her mental voice.

" _Damn. I'm gonna have to break it off with Pen then_ ," Hope joked back.

" _Does Pen know you're crushing on her_?"

Hope laughed. " _I love you_."

" _I love you too_."

" _I'm going to test out my magic for a while if you want to join me_."

" _I'm going to spend some time with Lizzie, but we're still on for tonight, right_?"

" _Of course_."

" _Lizzie says we can sleep here as long as we don't have sex, or anything sex related. I think we scared her earlier_ ," Josie chuckled. " _She seems lonely_."

" _We can sleep in your bed if you want_ ," Hope said. " _I can bring my laptop and we can choose something to binge_."

"," Josie said. " _I'll see you tonight. Have fun_."

" _Thanks_."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Josie had just changed for bed when she felt Hope approaching her dorm. She walked over to the door and opened it just as Hope went to open it. "Hi beautiful," she smiled.

Hope smiled and pulled Josie down for a brief kiss. "Hello," she said as she passed Josie. She dropped her backpack on Josie's bed and looked around the room. "Where's Lizzie?"

"She's with Pen," Josie answered, crinkling her nose in confusion. "Are you sure they aren't dating, or maybe just hooking up?"

"No. Pen swears nothing's going on, and I kinda believe her. I mean this is Lizzie and Pen we're talking about. It's hard to imagine them ever letting go of the animosity between them and getting to together."

Josie sighed, "I just wish I knew what they were up to."

"You don't know?"

"No," she said and then looked up to Hope. "Do you?"

"I know what Pen told me," she said. "Maybe we are able to keep things from one another. At least for now. It might change once we complete the bond, or maybe not."

"What did Pen tell you?" Josie eagerly asked.

"I can't tell you. It's a surprise," Hope said and then bit her lip slightly.

"What's a surprise?"

Hope shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I just know it's a surprise."

"Alright," she said, and then pulled Hope into her arms. She leaned down and kissed her lightly. "So. Why'd my dad want to see you?"

Hope laid her head on Josie's shoulder. "Pen's roommate told your dad we pitched a tent in the room and stayed up all night talking and doing magic. Again."

"You pitched a tent?" Josie chuckled.

"I didn't. Pen already had the thing up when I got there. We're not allowed to have any more sleepovers in her room," Hope said. "He doesn't care if we have them in mine though."

"That's good." She turned her head and gave Hope a tender kiss on her forehead. "She should be back soon, but we should have enough time for you to change and set the tv up."

Hope nodded her head and reluctantly stepped away from her. It only took them a few minutes to get everything set up, and then once Hope and changed they slipped into Josie's bed. Josie laid on her side facing her sister's bed, with her arms wrapped around Hope, who made sure every inch on her front was touching Josie in some way.

Josie loved having sex with Hope, but it was the little moments like cuddling in her bed, or in the loft of the mill, that she loved the most. It was peaceful and soothing. Like no matter what happened, if they were together in each other's arms, everything would be alright. She wished every day could be like that.

They were cuddled together half asleep when Lizzie returned half an hour later. She smiled lightly at them and tossed a green reusable grocery bag on her bed. She quickly changed, and then sat on her bed next to the bag.

"I brought goodies," she said.

Hope rolled away from Josie's chest to face Lizzie with a smile, while remaining comfortably in her love's arms. "And I brought my laptop. I have just about everything ever made. So have your pick."

"A trade then," Lizzie said and plopped the bag on the bed next to Hope. "You pick out snacks while I pick out the movie."

Hope sat up and pulled the bag on her lap so Josie could pick as well. They both were munching on mini bags on white cheddar popcorn, when Lizzie stood up suddenly, and made her way back to them.

"You weren't kidding," Lizzie said in awe. "Why do you have so many tv shows?"

Hope shrugged her shoulders. "I like TV, and since I didn't have friends, I had a lot of time on my hands.

"Well now you do," Lizzie said and then gabbed Hope's hand briefly, before taking the snack bad to pick some for herself. "But we are so making this a regular thing. Friends or not, TV shows are awesome."

"I'd like that," Hope smiled. She sunk back under the covered, and smiled contently as Josie did the same, wrapping her arms around her.

Josie smiled to herself. She was happy that her sister and Hope were getting along and actively trying to find things to do with each other. First with the spells Hope was teaching them, then with fight training and meditation, and now with the tv shows. It made her love Hope just a little more and adore her sister.

She leaned forward and place a kiss on the top of Hope's head and smiled when she felt Hope sigh in content. She couldn't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night than with the love of her life and the twin sister. She hoped the rest of her, hopefully very long life could be just like this.


	15. Loose Ends

Chapter 15: Loose Ends

Hope, Lizzie, and Josie were already at the mill, waiting for the rest of their friends to show up. While they waited, Lizzie and Josie were sparing, giving Hope the chance to see how well each were doing on an even playing field. She was surprise at how good Lizzie had gotten since they started train. Though she wasn't sure why. Lizzie had the most fun outside of herself during fight training. She was always eager to try and kick Hope's ass and listened carefully when Hope corrected her on something.

Josie on the other hand wasn't as thrilled as her sister to fight. She enjoyed training, but Lizzie had fun while she trained like she was studying for a test. She carefully learned every move Hope taught them and focused on what Kaleb did when she attacked. All in all, they were both evenly matched. Every time one sister got the upper hand, the other would punch, or kick, or magic their way to the top.

Still, Hope was nervous about letting them come. She had just gotten to know them, and she couldn't lose them too. She couldn't be the reason they died. She wouldn't!

Slowly each of their friends show up, each gathering around the twins to watch them fight. She quietly told them to pair up with whoever, and then gently pulled MG outside, telling him she needed to talk to him when he inquired why.

She looked at him and suddenly everything she practiced went right out the window. This was MG, the nerdiest kid in their group. The one she could sit a lunch with and talk none stop about a show none of their friends had seen. He like to write fanfiction in his spare time and joined Hope at least once a week to binge watch all of their weekly shows together. He was her friend and she was about to crush his feelings.

"What's up Hope?" He asked when she didn't say anything.

"It just…" She began and tried to remember what she had practiced in her head not even an hour before. "MG. I'm sorry, but I can't let you come with us to Georgia."

The friendly look on MG's dropped into a hurt and confused stare. "What? Why?"

She sighed, "Doctor Saltzman told me about your blood problem. I'm sorry, MG, but I can't have you on the field with none vamps if you can't control yourself if one of us gets hurts."

"I can…"

"That's why you disappeared yesterday during the fight," she said accusingly. When a guilty look crossed his features, she knew she was right. "Look, if you were able to control it, I'd let you come, but since you can't you're likely to get someone killed. I won't put the rest of the team in jeopardy. I can't risk something happening to them if I know I can prevent it."

"But I can control it. Emma's been helping me," MG insisted.

"Yeah?" she half asked, then reached into her back pocket for the pocketknife she borrowed from Alaric. She opened the knife and side it effortlessly across her palm. Enough blood seeped out of the wound before healing to show where she cut. It was enough to garner the reaction she expected.

MG's entire demeanor changed the second her blood seeped from the wound. While her blood was vampiric in nature, being born instead of being created gave her a human aspect to her blood. Something she realized long before she started feeding her aunt her blood. He suddenly went ridged, as thought he was doing everything in his power to stay right where he was. Which Hope suspected was exactly what he was doing. His eyes also changed, showing his inner vampire.

What she did next, she wasn't proud of, but she had to show him why he couldn't come with them. She bought the knife up to her throat and made a small incision and then bared her neck for him, daring him to attack her. He held strong for all of a minute, before he closed the small gap between them and latched onto her neck.

She grimaced as he sank his teeth into her neck, it hurt but it wasn't an unbearable pain. "Alright, that's enough," she said, knowing he wasn't going to stop. She only said them to reiterate her point. He grasped her shoulder harder, and she could feel him suck harder. It was at that point she grabbed him and physically pushed him off her. He fell backwards landing on the ground with a hard thud. It didn't seem to faze him, however. He looked up at Hope with hangry eyes and was speeding back to her a few seconds later. Hope was ready for him. The second his hands touched her shoulders, she was kneeing him in his little MG, and knocking him backwards again. This time he curled up into a ball with his hands between his legs.

MG looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Hope. I don't want to be like this."

Hope relaxed. "I know MG, and I'll help you, but you can't come with us. You have to stay here with Landon and Raf." She knelt down beside him and rubbed her hand over his shoulder blade. "I'll help you."

"Hope, is everything alright?" Josie asked from the mill's entrance.

Hope looked up at her and nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm okay boo. MG and I are good."

"Are you sure? She asked skeptically.

"Yeah." She walked over to Josie and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll explain later."

"Alright," Josie said and disappeared into the mill.

Hope watched her leave and then went and sat down next to MG, who sat up. "You good?"

MG nodded. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay MG," she said, and then chuckled lightly, "I guess I should be glad we haven't had anybody bleed during training."

He nodded again.

"Hey," she said and then grabbed his hand. "We all have things we struggle to control, but I've found having people around to help makes it so much easier. From where I'm sitting, you have a lot of support."

"Yeah. I guess I do," he smiled lightly.

"You still want to rip my throat out though, don't you?"

"More than anything," MG admitted. "You taste good."

"So I've been told," Hope smiled. "I'll help you in any way I can, but from what I've read, it's going to be an everyday struggle."

"Read where?"

"Stefan Salvatore's journals. I've read every one left here at school," Hope said.

"There's more than one?" MG asked.

Hope nodded, "Caroline has a bunch of them. She let me read them after my parents died. She caught me reading the one locked up in the library after my parents died. I thought she was going to lecture me when she took me to her office, but she handed me a journal and told me to come back when I wanted the next one. I think she was just trying to keep my mind off of what happened."

"Did it work?"

"For a while, yeah," she answered sadly. "There are three journals all about my family. Those were hard to read."

"Does not having you parents in your life get any easier?"

"Yeah. It gets easier to deal with day by day, but every day is still a struggle. Josie's helped a lot and having my family here has been amazing."

"Landon's cool, and I like chilling with him," MG said.

"I'm glad you have someone," Hope said. "So, do you think you're good?"

"Yeah," MG said. He stood up and offered her his hand and helped her up as well. He smiled at her and hesitantly said, "Thanks Hope. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"You're good MG," Hope replied and then walked back into the mill. She smiled when she saw they had taken the liberty of swapping up partners in her absence. Instead of being with Kaleb, Josie was now with Raf, Pen was fighting with Landon, Lizzie was fighting with Kaleb.

She laughed at the accosted look on Kaleb's face when he suddenly found himself on the floor under Lizzie, instead of his previous position behind her, with her head in a headlock. Lizzie looked up in surprise at being able to flip his much larger and muscular body over her own. When she saw Hope standing just inside the mill a smile formed on her lips larger than any Hope had seen on the girl. "Did you see that?" She asked hopeful.

Hope smiled at her and as she walked over to her, she said, "I did. That was a great flip Liz." Hope couldn't help but be a little proud, no, a lot proud at Lizzie. Out of all her students, Lizzie was the one who took the most joy out of training. She was the one who got so excited when she mastered a move that it was hard to not feel her excitement too. It was nice. "Help your partner up and let see if you can do it again."

Lizzie offered a hand to Kaleb, who was still laying of the floor in shock that Lizzie had managed to flip him without using magic. He took the hand and allowed her to help him up. They reset almost immediately, with him standing behind her and her head in his arms.

She could see Lizzie's smile drop into a frown when she couldn't do it again. Hope had to smile however, when a look of determination crossed her features. She shifted her stance slightly and tried again. This time Kaleb not only went over Lizzie's shoulders, he went flying through the air, landing a few feet away from Lizzie.

Hope looked down at Kaleb in shock, who was wearing a similar look. She looked up to Lizzie who was looking shocked as well. "Holy crap," Lizzie gasped, and then looked up at Hope. "Holy crap," she repeated.

Hope nodded and then smiled at her. "That was great Lizzie."

Lizzie's smile grew and a second later Hope found herself wrapped up in Lizzie's arms, her face smushed into the girl's upper chest. "Thank you."

Hope relaxed into the hug and wrapped her own arms around Lizzie's waist. "You're welcome, Lizzie," she said.

Lizzie pulled away and went over to where Kaleb was watching them unsure of what was going on. "Come on Kaleb. I want to practice that move Hope did during your fight with her." She pulled him back over to the spot they started in.

Hope quietly snorted when she realized what move Lizzie want to practice. Poor Kaleb only had a second to get a decent stance before Lizzie did a handstand, bringing her feet to his head and attempting to flip him over her. Unfortunately, she didn't have the strength or the power to bring him down like that. He just looked down at her with his, 'are you kidding me,' me look.

Hope stifled another snort and then went over to Lizzie. She knelt down and looked at Lizzie, who was still attempting to flip Kaleb. "Hey Liz. I know you want to do this move, but we have to build up your leg muscles first.

She pouted at Hope but released her grip on Kaleb and flipped back to the ground. Hope stood up and gave Kaleb a soft smile. She looked at Lizzie and smiled. "Your upper muscles are great, but it takes a lot of power to flip someone like that, and you should never try that move on someone who doesn't have supernatural healing. You might accidentally break their neck."

Lizzie nodded her head in understanding.

"Tomorrow morning before breakfast we'll go for a run. That's the best way to build strength and speed."

Lizzie's eyes lit up at the idea. "Sounds good Mikaelson. You better not flake."

"Wouldn't dream on it," she said.

The rest of the morning she went around to each pair and watched their form, correcting any mistakes she saw as she went along. MG decided to head back to the school. Given his and Hope's conversation, he wasn't up for training.

"Alright. That's enough. It's almost lunch time," Hope called, and one by one each group rose from their spots. "Tomorrow after classes end."

Josie came up beside her girlfriend as their friends left. "I think you made Lizzie super happy. Wanna know a secret?"

Hope wrapped her arms around Josie and pulled her close. She looked up at Josie with a playful smile on her lips. "And what would this secret be?"

Josie leaned down and kissed her. "You getting along with my sister is the best thing ever."

"I'm glad you approve," Hope smiled and stood on her tippy toes to give Josie another kiss.

Josie broke the kiss and whispered, "We have a little time before lunch is over."

Hope smiled widely and started pulling Josie towards the stares.

"Hey. Hurry up," Lizzie said from the doorway. Her hand was on her hip and she was giving them an annoyed look.

"Guess we'll have to wait until later," Hope sighed, and then smiled at Josie. "Later."

"Later."

Later never came.

After lunch she was called to Alaric's office to discuss the Triad takeover and Malivore shutdown. They were just a few days away from the trip to Georgia and the adults were getting worried. Well, most of the adults. Freya was the only one who wasn't fretting over their plan or the fact that Hope was going with.

She spent most of the afternoon going over the plan with Marcel, who had managed to infiltrate the compound by posing as a new employee. He was able to get the blueprint for the building which made infiltrating the compound without giving them prior warning easier.

About halfway through talking with him, he revealed something that did make Freya worry, and hesitantly suggest Hope stay behind. Triad had been experimenting with the Malivore mud and had managed to make a bullet that would penetrate any supernatural and slowly kill them from the inside out.

Hope reminded her that she was perfectly capable of handling herself and was likely immune given that she wasn't just one of the protected species but all three.

The Malivore mud bullets did cause a big problem, however. When Freya video called Terry, Haley's replacement as alpha of the pack, she wasn't thrilled with the news. In fact, she made it clear that she wasn't going to force any wolf to go who didn't want to. Two hours later, Terry called back to tell them all but a few had backed out.

Freya fell back into her chair. "I don't blame them. Things have been in disarray since Hayley's death. The city's just getting back to normal again."

"But that does leave us in a lurch," Alaric said.

"No," Hope said. Everyone around the coffee table looked to her. "We'll just move back the takeover to a few hours before we were planning on doing the spell."

"Hope," Alaric said.

"No Doctor Saltzman," Hope said. She sat forward. "You trust us to take care of the unruly monsters, so trust us to take care of the humans too."

"But…"

"No buts… Yeah, they have guns, but we have magic. We're ready," Hope insisted. She stood up and went to the large monitor where the blueprints to the Triad compound were displayed. There were a dozen or so colored dots, each a different color and represented a team. "We'll go in, in pairs. One witch with one vamp or wolf, with the humans and witches there for the spell trailing behind. Raf and Pen can go in here." She pointed to an orange dot to the left of the blue print. "We can lock him up before the moon rises or stick him with the wolves that will patrol the outside."

"Josie and Kaleb, no Lizzie and Kaleb, can go in here," she said and pointed to the purple dot opposite of the orange. "They seem to work well. I'll go in the front with Josie," she said. "Any wolves and witches that are there to help can take the rest of the entrances."

"Hope," Alaric began, but Hope cut him off again.

"We got this Doctor Saltzman," she insisted.

"She right Alaric," Freya said. "We were trusting them to fight the monsters, humans, even ones with magic mud shooting guns, will be no fight for them."

"Fine. Fine," he relented, throwing his hands in the air.

"Great," Hope said, and then turned back to the board to make the alterations to the plans.

They spent the rest of the day changing the plan to fit the new adjustments, and by the time Freya, Keelin, Rebekah, and Hope headed back to Hope's room, it was already dark. Hope could feel that Josie was already asleep, much like the baby cousin she carried in her arms. She had crawled out of her mother's lap a little while before and cuddled up with Hope. It was then that the adult decided it was late. Hope really wanted to see Josie, but it would have to wait until in the morning for the recurring morning date.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

For the next week, whenever they weren't in class or eating and sleeping, Hope and her friends were out in the mill training as hard as they could. By the end of the week she was sure they were ready for the fight.

Still, she was nervous. For the first time since her mother and father died, she felt like she wasn't a burden to the people she cared about. She had finally let herself be happy and allowed each of them into her heart. She was afraid that at the end of this, she would lose someone… again.

Josie had started to whisper "I love you" to Hope every chance they were in the same vicinity. At first, she thought she was just saying it because she wanted to and now had the freedom to, but Hope realized that it was more than that. Josie was feeling how nervous she was and was trying to reassure her the best way she knew how. By reminding her every chance she got how much she loved her.

They were two days away from the full moon, which meant there was only one day left to get everyone ready. That thought weighed heavily on Hope's mind as she entered her room for the night. She only had one day to ensure she didn't lose anyone in the fight.

Rebekah wasn't there, she had already headed to Georgia with Caroline the day before. Freya and Keelin were already in bed, with Faith sitting in between them. Hope smiled at them, and suddenly felt the urge to be in Faith's place.

She went over to the bed and picked her eight-month-old cousin up and then climbed over Freya, so she was laying in between her aunts with Faith sitting on her. The little girl seemed happy with the sudden change and giggled at Hope.

"What's up honey?" Freya asked worried.

Hope shrugged.

Keelin laughed, "The two of you are so much alike sometimes. It's like trying to break a rock to get you to admit what's going on in your heads." She shook her head and then bent down to kiss Hope's cheek. Faith bounced on Hope's stomach while giggling loudly, and then bent forward to give Hope a sloppy kiss of her own. Hope smiled and then gave Faith a kiss.

"I'm just nervous about going to the Triad," Hope admitted.

Freya sighed. "Are you thinking about your parents?"

Hope nodded her head and pursed her lips tightly to keep the tears that suddenly welled in her eyes from falling.

Freya wrapped her arm around Hope's waist. "It's okay to be scared. I am."

Hope looked up at Freya, surprised by the admission.

"I've been terrified for you since the day we lost Hayley," she said softly. "Ever since you lost your mom, and I became the one you looked to. It was strange at first, because I always had her there to help. For years it was just me and her raising you. We didn't decide anything without the other's input. Then suddenly she was gone and you're looking to me for the answers. Every time something happened, I questioned whether she would have approved. Then we lost your dad too, and I didn't have him there either."

Freya looked up to her wife with a sad smile on her lips. "Thank god for Keelin," she gushed and then looked back down at her niece. "I'm terrified every day that something is going to happen to you and this little peanut." She tickled Faith's belly causing the infant to giggle in delight.

"But you don't show it. I mean, you've never really protested against me helping Doctor Saltzman with the Malivore Monsters or heading into the fight."

Freya looked back to her. "That's because you're a Mikaelson, through and through. Once you make up your mind about something, only you can change it, and I have to trust that you are making the right decision. You'll be eighteen in a little over a month, and while I hope you continue to take what I say to heart, if you want to go out and fight evil in the world, I can't stop you even if I wanted to. I'll just do my best every day to make sure you know how much we love you, and swallow every bit of my fear I feel, because I won't stop you from living your life." She looked to Faith. "Either one of you."

Hope propped her cousin up with her legs and half turned so she could hug her aunt. "I love you, Auntie Freya."

"I love you too Hope," Freya whispered. "Always and forever."

"Always and forever."

Hope felt a hand on her shoulder and rolled back over to look at Keelin.

"We are here for whatever you need, all you have to do is come to us," she said with a gentle smile. "I love you."

Hope smiled and rolled to hug her as well. "I love you, too."

"Now I know you're tired," Freya began. "but I got a call today from Declan. He says you haven't called him in three weeks and is worried about you."

"Ops," Hope cringed. "Everything has been so chaotic I forgot."

"Declan is the one person you can't forget to call. He gets worried when he doesn't hear from you and thinks you died, and we just didn't tell you."

"Well in his defense, you did forget to tell him his girlfriend died," Hope remined her.

"One mistake and the man will never let me live it down," Freya grumbled as she turned over to her nightstand to get her phone. "Just call him. I don't think he entirely believed me when I said you were fine."

Hope called Declan and talked to him for almost an hour. She liked that he knew about her powers and didn't have to hide them from him anymore. It made talking to him that much easier. There were times that she felt guilty for caring about the man, like she was betraying her father, but he also reminded her of her mother and all the good times the three had together. He was familiar and comforting and made her feel a little better about everything.

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope found herself standing on the docks again, only this time Josie wasn't standing next to her. She looked around the moon lit yard to see if she was coming, but only saw darkness.

"Hope," she heard from behind her.

Her body froze, not trusting herself to believe the voice to be real. Slowly she turned to face the owner of the voice, tears already rolling down her cheeks. "Mom?" she asked fearful.

"It's okay," Hayley said, and closed the gap between them. She pulled Hope into her arms and kissed the top of her head.

"It feels so real," Hope replied bewildered.

Hayley pulled back and smiled down at her daughter. "That's because it is real. Well, you're dreaming, but I am real. You summoned us in your sleep."

"Us?" Hope asked, then heard footsteps on the dock. She turned to see who was behind her, though she already knew. She could sense him. "Dad," she cried, and practically threw herself into his arms.

"Hello, my littlest wolf," he cooed and place a kiss of his own on the top of her head.

"How is this possible?" she asked, while still in the comfort of her father's arms.

He pulled away slightly and looked into Hope's eyes. "You are how this is possible. You are far more powerful than you know," he said proudly.

She looked at him questioningly but turned when she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. "We haven't much time," she said. "You've brought us here for a reason."

"I… um…" Hope stumbled, not entirely sure what the reason was, or rather which of the several things going on in her life was the reason she summoned them.

"It's alright littlest wolf," Klaus said reassuringly. "We know what's been going on in your life. I'm proud of the strong woman you're becoming. A force of good, and a new hope for the Mikaelson legacy. Just like we knew you would be."

"But…"

"No buts," Hayley said. "We are incredibly proud of all you have built for yourself. It's everything we hoped for you to have. A life for you to live, friends to enjoy the day with, a love who is always there for you, and family, both old and new, to have your back." She looked up at Klaus with a smile.

"As much as it pains me to say, Alaric has been good for you," Klaus said, and then put his hands on Hope's shoulders. "Thank him for me, will you?" He paused and looked away briefly, before looking back. "And tell your aunts and uncle I'm proud of them, and that I love them. I don't think we said it enough in our long lives. Never forget to say it Hope. Always and forever is a noble promise, one I am happy you are continuing, but a simple I love you means so much more. Remember that."

"I will dad," Hope agreed, and turned to look at her mother expectantly.

Hayley smiled. "Tell Freya I miss her, and that I think she is doing an amazing job. Tell her that I approve." She wiped away the tears welled in her eyes, and then smiled at her. "Relaying our messages isn't the reason we're here, though. She is…"

Hayley pointed over Klaus's shoulder to a shadowy figure approaching them. Hope knew it was Josie approaching them, even before the moonlight revealed her. She could feel her drawling closer to them.

"Hope. What's going on?" Josie asked as she cautiously made her way to Hope's side.

"I summoned them. Apparently, it's something I can do now," Hope answered.

"Hello again," Klaus said politely and extended his hand. Josie hesitantly took it, the memory of the last time she had met the man fresh in her mind. She knew what she and Lizzie did saved Hope's life, but it also condemned his. He smirked at her and looked at Hope pridefully.

Hope gave her father a smile and turned to her mother. "Josie, this is my mom, Hayley."

Hayley offered her hand to Josie, who accepted it with a soft, "Hello." Hayley smiled at Josie and offered her own hello. She then leaned in and whispered something in Josie's ear that Hope couldn't hear. Her mother was purposely talking quietly enough so she couldn't hear.

Klaus came up behind her and placed both his hands on her shoulders, then lean forward and whispered. "I approve of this one Hope. She has fire in her, just like her mother. She'll make you very happy."

Hope sighed happily. "Thanks Dad."

Hayley gave Josie a hug and then walked over to Hope, allowing Klaus to go speak to her. She was a little worried that her father was going to give her the dad speech, but Josie seemed relaxed enough.

"What'd you say to Josie?" she asked her mom.

"You'll find out soon enough," Hayley said cryptically. She turned to Hope and pulled her in for another hug. "I miss you, but I am so glad you are living your life. Your father and I couldn't be prouder."

"Thanks Mom," Hope said. "I miss you too. Every day."

"I know, but I also know Josie make it easier for you. I couldn't ask for a better mate for you." Hayley chuckled. "When I said have at least one truly epic love, this isn't what I had in mind. It's so much more than that. She's amazing Hope."

Hope smiled teary eyed. "She's pretty great."

"She's the reason you summoned us," Hayley explained. "You'll understand soon why but know that I approve of your union. I am so happy you found someone who loves you, and who you can grow with."

Hope nodded her head. "I don't want you to go."

"We have to," Hayley said. "We'll see you again one day. Until then, live your life to the fullest."

"I will," Hope promised, and then hugged her mother again. She only released her when she felt her father's hand on her shoulder. She turned and hugged him tightly. "I love you, always and forever."

"I love you too Hope," Klaus said, and then pulled away. A tear slipped down his cheek. "Always and forever." He placed a kiss on her forehead and then stepped away. He grabbed Hayley's hand and the two of them disappeared.

Tears flowed down her cheeks from the mixture of happiness and sadness flowing through her. She felt Josie step up behind her and then her long arms wrap around her, allowing her to grasp her hands, linking their fingers together. She leaned her head back against Josie's shoulder, who took the opportunity to give her a kiss on her temple.

"That is not what I was expecting when you pulled me into the dream," Josie hummed. She brought her right hand, still linked with Hope's, up to cover her heart. "I love you. You Dad said I should say it as often as I can."

Hope laughed, "He told me the same." She squeezed the hand over her heart and said, "I love you too."

"Can we spend tomorrow night together?" Josie asked shyly. "Just us, out in the mill?"

"Sure," Hope hummed. "That sounds nice."

"Good. Good," she said, and then wrapped her arms around Hope tighter and whispered, "I love you," again, then kissed her head.

Hope sighed in content, happy to be snuggly in Josie's grasp. She decided this was her favorite place to be, in Josie's arms.


	16. The Bond

Josie was nervous.

It was the night before they were to head to Georgia. She was waiting in the mill for Hope to arrive. All of the candles they had both brought up there were lit, some were floating, while others were sitting in safe spots around their makeshift bed. Gone was her usual school outfit, replaced with a silky black dress that went down to her mid-thigh. Sitting next to her was the book Penelope found that held the only information about the bond anyone had been able to find.

She had read and reread the passage on the bond over and over again all week long, mulling over a decision that she was positive she was ready to make. Thanks to the share dreamed she had Hope had the night before, the only thing that was holding her back was gone.

Josie's anxiety rose into a near panic when she heard Hope on the steps. This was it. She had been practicing all afternoon how she was going to say it.

Hope walked around the corner with a soft smile on her lips, and all the anxiety just melted away. A single smile for the woman she loved and nothing else mattered. It was an amazing and intoxicating feeling.

Hope dropped the bag she was carrying and knelt down to give Josie as kiss, before sitting next to her. "So, what has you so anxious? It's been bleeding through our connection all day."

Josie bit her lip as the anxiety flared back up again. Not nearly as bad as before Hope showed up, but there none-the-less. She gave Hope a soft smile and then picked up the book from beside her and offered it to Hope.

Hope looked at the book unsurely but took it.

"I'm ready… That is if you are," Josie said hesitantly. "I love you. I've been thinking about this all week, weighing the options, but it was something your mom said last night that made me really decide."

"What did she say?" Hope asked hopeful.

Josie smiled. "She thanked me for loving you, so did your dad, but your mom said I was the reason you summoned them. That you were subconsciously feeling my desires and wanted to help ease the only set back I had."

"I didn't realize…"

"I didn't either until your mom explained it," Josie said. "You're only able to summon them because it was a selfless act. You were doing it because I wanted their approval, like you have my parents. I was afraid that maybe they wouldn't have liked me or disapproved of me and what was happening between us. I was also afraid that you might be holding back a little because you didn't have their approval. It's dumb, I know."

"No, Josie," Hope said and set the book on the bed beside her and grabbed Josie's hand. "It's not dumb. Your feelings are never dumb. I love you, and I'm touched that you think of them. That you care what they would have thought. I do. I wonder if they would have liked you, if they would be mad about the bond, but our dream showed me I was right. I knew they would love you, because what's not to love. You are so kind and compassionate. Every second I am with you is such a gift. Sometimes I wonder how in the hell I got so lucky?"

"I'm the lucky one," Josie smiled slyly, and then pulled Hope in for a kiss. When she released Hope, she picked up the book. "I'm ready to complete the bond whenever you are. I know in my heart that you're it for me. I think a part of me always knew it was you. It just took the bond for me to admit it, and it doesn't matter if we do it now or in five years. This feeling I have in my heart, in my soul is only going to grow. I love you."

Hope smiled widely. "I love you too, Josie, and I think I'm ready. I've been ready for weeks. Ever since the night we made love for the first time. You were so kind and sweet to me. You didn't get angry at me for feeling so trapped by the merge cure. You understood and made sure I knew that what I felt was okay. I think that's when I knew I was ready to complete the bond. I've just been waiting for you to be ready too."

"I am," Josie said. "I'm ready for us to feel completed."

Hope smiled widely at Josie and leaned forward for to capture her lips. Josie smiled into the kiss and pushed Hope backwards and straddled her hips. She sat up and grabbed the book. "I have to bite you while you orgasm and stay latched until I orgasm, but it says we also have to open our minds and freely submit to the other."

"Makes sense," Hope said shrugging her shoulders. "I'm an alpha, we can't really be equals if my wolf sees you as someone to control or lead. Which I don't by the way."

Josie smiled. "Then all we have to do is have some sexy time fun, and then I bite you. Which I'm a little worried about. What if I can't break the skin? Plus I really don't want to hurt you.

"Don't worry about hurting me," Hope said. "I heal fast and I don't think I'll feel it, being you know… at the time."

"Right," Josie said. "Are you sure about this? I don't want you to do this just because I'm ready."

Hope propped herself up on her elbows. "I'm not. I promise. I want to do this because I love you and because I'm ready."

"Okay," Josie smiled happily. She tossed the book to the side, and kissed Hope passionately. She pulled back and whispered, "I love you too."

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

Hope felt the bond take hold the second Josie sunk her teeth into her neck. It was like a rush of power flowing through her entire body, filling her mind and soul. It was electrifying and exhilarating. Unlike anything she felt before, and the feeling kept growing. Getting stronger the closer Josie came to climaxing, pulsating with each heartbeat until she felt something break free within them and suddenly the were one soul beating to the time of two hearts.

She felt Josie relinquish her grasp on her neck, but she remained laying on her, not bothering to remove herself from the fingers still buried deep in her center. She felt Josie's soft breath rush over the bite mark that still stung slightly. She could feel Josie's beating heart in time with her own.

Josie slid off her body freeing Hope's hand, and slowly removed her hand from Hope's center. "That was… intense," she huffed.

"Mm hmm…" was all Hope was able to say allowed. " _Yes it was_ ," she sighed in her head.

" _Are you okay_?" Josie thought.

Hope smiled. "I guess that answers that question." She chuckled. "This is trippy. It's like I can feel you inside on me, right here." She pointed between her breasts.

"I feel it too," Josie said. "And the power I feel. It's like I just spend the last day doing nothing but siphoning you. It's amazing."

"I feel the same way," Hope said. She rolled onto her side and too face Josie and gave her a gentle and loving kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Hope quietly whispered the cleansing spell, and then rolled to face her mate. "I can feel you. It's like you're a living being inside my soul."

Josie laughed. "I feel the same thing. It's easier to separate my feeling from yours now, and I feel how powerful you are. It's exhilarating." She sighed in content.

"I guess I never really thought about that," Hope replied. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel everything inside her. It was strange yet exhilarating. Josie was right, she did find it much easier to separate her own feeling from Josie's. It was like Josie's feeling were wrapped around her soul. At that moment Josie was feeling excited, but also content.

Hope snapped her eyes open and looked at Josie. "You're hungry."

Josie smiled goofily at Hope. "Yeah. I always get hungry after we make love."

"But you've never said anything," Hope said.

"That involves getting out of this bed, which I'd rather not do," Josie chuckled.

Hope shook her head and crawled out their makeshift bed and crawled over to the trunk. "I keep snacks in here." She pulled out a reusable grocery bag. She brought the bag over and set it next to Josie and crawled back under the blanket. The nights were still cool, even with all the candles around them.

"Hope," Josie said worriedly. "The bite isn't healing." She swiped Hope's hair away from her neck and ran her thumb around the swollen bite mark."

"Oh. Yeah," Hope said as she brought her hand to cover the mark and Josie's hand. "It's probably because it's supposed to leave a mark. That can't happen if the bite rapidly heals."

"We should write that down," Josie said.

"You want to document this?" Hope asked.

Josie shrugged her shoulders, "I have been writing down everything that's happened since you created the connection. I figured if this happens to someone else, it would be good to have a more accurate version of what happens."

Hope smiled. "That's a great idea boo." She opened the bag and pulled out a bag of Sun Ripe strawberry bites.

"My favorite," Josie smiled as she accepted the treats.

Hope pulled out a bottle of water, and a bag of Haribo Twin Snakes, then set the bag behind her. They ate their snakes in a comfortable silence, not that they need to talk. What with them able to project their thoughts to the other and literally being able to feel what the other was.

Hope cuddled up to Josie some time late feeling happier than she had in a very long time. The worry that had been plaguing her weeks was gone, replaced by, for the lack of a better word, hope. She felt like everything was going to work out. Maybe it was Josie's calming emotions that was calming her, or perhaps it was because her wolf was content with being bonded to her mate.

In the morning, they both woke before the sun was due to rise, and quietly slipped back into the school, separating briefly to get their shower things. Freya and Keelin were already awake. Faith was still asleep, though she was on Hope's bed instead of in her pack and play. Faith was remaining behind with Emma, who had graciously offered to watch the baby since Vincent was one of the witches who was help Freya with the spell.

Hope quickly joined Josie for a shower, and then together they went to wake Lizzie. Who was still asleep, having refused to wake when her sister tried earlier. She begrudgingly got out of bed, glaring at both of them. " _It's her meds. She'll snap out of it eventually_."

Hope just nodded her head. "We'll meet you out front in half an hour," Hope told Lizzie who just grunted in response. She gently nudged Josie, and silently told her to follow her.

Half an hour later, Josie and Hope were the last to arrive. Each carrying a tray full of cups and vials in their looking hands. The sun was just beginning to rise, allowing them all to see each other properly. Kaleb and Lizzie were sitting in the van, while Raf and Penelope were leaning up against the side. Alaric, Freya and Keelin were looking at a paper map laid out over the hood.

Alaric looked up as they approached. "About time girls. You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago."

"Sorry Dad," Josie said. "Hope and I had to do something."

"What's in the cups?" Lizzie asked.

"My blood," Hope answered, which caused everyone to stop what they were doing and look at her. "I'm not going to force you to drink it, but I'll breathe a little easier knowing there's a backup plan, just in case anything should happen." She paused and shyly admitted, "I don't want to lose any of you."

"Well as much as it'd suck not having my powers, I like not being dead more," Penelope said and took one of the small paper cups. She downed the like a shot and then placed it back on the tray. "Not bad. Could use a little sugar though," she joked and flashed her best friend a smirk. Her smirk dropped a second later and her eyes widened. "What's on your neck Hope?" she asked, and then brushed Hopes hair away from her neck so she could get a better look. "Is that a bite mark?"

"What?" Alaric and Freya asked at the same time and came over to look as well.

"Why isn't your healing working?" Freya asked as she examined the scabbed bite mark.

Hope blushed deep red as her aunt and Alaric both carefully looked at the mark Josie put there.

"No freaking way!" Penelope exclaimed loudly, a sly grin on her lips.

Alaric and Freya looked over at Penelope questioning. Freya caught on first and looked at her niece with wide eyes. "You did it, didn't you?"

Hope bit her lip and nodded her head slightly. "Yeah. We decide last night."

"Decided what?" Alaric asked.

"Dad, we decided to complete the bond," Josie explained.

Penelope laughed when Alaric took a giant step backwards. "Oh… Oh… So you did that… and it's not healing quickly because…"

"It's a physical manifestation on their bond," Freya said. "It might never completely go away."

"Does it hurt," Lizzie asked coming up beside Penelope to get a good look. She reached and poked the bite mark.

"Ow. When you do that is does," Hope jibed annoyed.

"Are you girls okay?" Alaric asked.

Hope nodded her head and then turned to smile at Josie. "We're great Doctor Saltzman."

"Yeah Dad. We've never felt better," Josie added with her own smile.

"Okay. We should talk about this later. With your mother."

"We will," she promised, and then held out the tray in front of her. "Dad will you please take one of these?"

He looked like he was going to protest but took one of the cups anyways. He too downed the blood in one shot and then put it onto Hope's tray with Penelope's empty one.

Hope held out her tray for Freya who took a cup without any prompting from her niece and then handed one cup to Keelin. "It's your choice," she said softly.

Keelin just smiled and took the cup. "Our daughter deserves to have both of us," she said and downed the cup.

"There's a vial of blood for after, just in case you aren't around a human. Auntie Keelin and Raf, you need to make sure if you do turn, my blood is the first you take, or the transfer won't take."

"And then what?" Raf asked not fully understanding what Hope was talking about.

"The only way a wolf can become a hybrid is by drinking my blood before you die and after. Otherwise you'll slowly die."

"Oh," he said and then took one of the vials sitting on Josie's tray.

Lizzie came up to Hope and took one of the cups and downed the blood before her father could agree or disagree with her decision. "Thanks sis," she said, and then grabbed a vial from Josie's tray.

When there were only one cups and two vials left on Josie's tray, Hope combined the two trays and then took them from Josie so she could drink the last cup. Josie smiled as she placed the empty cup with the rest and then pocketed her vial.

Hope pocketed her own vial and then turned to Kaleb. She smiled at him and pulled a silver bottle out of her coat pocket and handed it to him. "I thought you might like something a little fresher and warmer."

His face lit up and he graciously took the bottle with a happy, "Now that's what I'm talking about. Thanks Hope."

"Alright guys. It's an eight-hour drive to Fort Valley, so let's load up and get going."

The ride to Fort Valley was mostly uneventful. They sang one long ass ancient car ride song about taking beer bottles off a wall, because that's logical. Josie serenaded them with a song she wrote with her ukulele. Penelope asked about a hundred questions about the bond, which everyone seemed to be interested in. Not that there was much of a difference, between before and after. At least, not that they'd noticed.

They were about an hour away from Fort Valley when the most interesting part of their journey happened. Penelope had fallen asleep with her head on Hope, who had fallen asleep with her head on Josie, who was mindlessly watching the scenery. When suddenly Penelope popped up wide awake while screaming and frantically trying to get her arm out of Hope's grip, causing Hope to jump awake and look over at Penelope in confusion.

Alaric, who had been so startled by the sudden commotion behind him, swerved the car onto the shoulder and then slammed on the breaks causing everyone to jolt forward in their seats. He turned around along with Kaleb to see what problem was.

Penelope didn't seem to notice that all eyes were on her or that they had even stopped. She was just looking at Hope in surprise while frantically rubbing her arm. "How the hell did you do that?"

"Do what?" Hope asked. Her eyes were wide, and her heart was racing. She could feel Josie trying to calm her through the bond, but she too had been startled by Penelope's sudden screams.

"You were siphoning me," Penelope accused.

Hope's eyes widened. "No I wasn't. Penelope, I can't do that."

"Well you were. Your hand was glowing red and everything," Penelope shrieked.

"But that's not possible. I don't have that power," Hope said unsurely, and then looked to Josie briefly before looking back. "Maybe you were just having a vivid dream."

Penelope looked down at her arm and back up at Hope. "Yeah. Maybe," she said, though Hope could tell she wasn't completely convinced.

The rest of the ride was uneventful and relatively quiet, sans the radio playing quietly up front. A little after two they rolled up to the rendezvous point about a mile north of the Triad compound.

Rebekah and Caroline were already waiting there, along with about a dozen and half other people. The occupants of the van piled out, grateful to finally be able to stretch their legs after hours of being stuck in the vehicle.

Hope helped Josie out of the bus and gripped her hand tight. She could feel Josie's anxiety rolling trough their bond. " _It's okay, boo_."

Josie smiled at Hope. " _I know. We got this_."

Hope stood on her tippy toes and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "I love you," she whispered, and then stepped back.

"I love you too."

Hope went to the back of the van, where all the weapons were tucked away in bags. She pulled out the one she packed for her friends, and then headed back to them. She pulled out medium length daggers, each sheathed in leather holders that wrapped around the wearer's waist. They hadn't been able to practice much with the daggers, but they were only there as a backup, so she hoped the practice they did get would be enough.

Once all the weapons were passed around and properly placed on each wearer's hips, Alaric and Freya went over the plan with everyone. Everyone was handed a communication bracelet that would glow different colors when it was there turn to attack. Then the dozen New Orleans witches were separated from the seven wolves. The wolves went over to join Hope, who took the time to pair them up and assigned them to an entrance.

Hope was a little uncomfortable with how easily they took her orders. She knew she was an alpha by power and birthright, but she was hesitant to lead for multiple reasons, despite how natural it felt.

"Remember, we don't want them dead. So avoid their guns and kill only as a last resort. They think we're monsters. Let's not prove them right." She received a few head nods. "Alright," she looked down at the watch on her wrist. "We have an hour until our man on the inside is going to disable to security system. The building is lined with woods, so we're going to head to our positions now."

She walked over to Josie, "You ready?"

"As ready as you are," she smirked. "You made that look so easy."

"Perks of being an alpha. I'll be happy when I can go back to hiding in my room though."

Josie smiled and kissed Hope's forehead. "An introverted alpha," she laughed lightly. "When we kick some Triad and Malivore butt, we can spend all the time you want in your room."

Hope sighed, "Good, because it's going to take weeks to recover from all alpha-ing I've been doing."

Josie laughed again. "Well I am more than willing to hide away for awhile. Just you and me." She smirked and silently said, " _Preferably with no clothing on_."

Hope stiffened and looked around at the group getting ready to depart, to see if any of them could tell Josie was saying naughty things through their bond. She knew none of them could hear what Josie was saying, but it still worried her.

She slyly looked up at Josie. " _You're evil_."

" _But you love me_."

" _Yeah. I do. With all my heart and soul_."

Josie smiled widely. " _I love you too_."

"Alright you two. Stop thinking mushy stuff to each other," Lizzie said, startling both of them.

"We weren't," Josie argued.

Penelope came up beside Lizzie with a smirk on her lips. "Yeah, and Lizzie and I are best friends now." She rolled her eyes at them.

"Oh… So that's why you two have been spending so much time together?" Hope exaggerated. "Here we thought you two were just getting naked together." She smirked at them, and then smiled widely as both of them began talking over each other.

"Eww…" Lizzie cringed. "As if I would be caught dead in Satan's bed. That's a great way to catch something I don't want."

"Hope…" Penelope groaned. "Please, I'd rather have sex with dog boy before I'd ever be caught doing the dirty with her."

They both turned and walked away from Hope and Josie with a huff, causing Hope to let out a little laugh. "You know… Me thinketh the ladies doth protest too much."

Josie snorted, "Me thinketh my lady has a point."

Hope shrugged her shoulders. "They're definitely up to something." Hope turned to look at Josie and held out her hands. "Take some power, boo."

Josie grasped both hands and siphoned power from Hope. "Stay safe," she said.

"The same to you."

They shared a chaste kiss before heading to their spot just outside the gates to Triad and waited for the signal. At half past 4, the communication bracelet around their wrists glowed orange, giving the orange teams the go ahead. She and Josie were the sole red team and the last to be sent in.

Everything was silent for a few minutes while they waited for their signal. Then, just as the bracelet glowed purple, they heard gun fire. Both of their heart seized in their chests. A few minutes later, there bracelets glowed red, signaling their turn.

Together they grasped hands and quickly came out of their hiding spot in the woods and made their way to the front gate. They each placed a hand on the gate and whispered the incantation to unlock them. They looked up and smiled in triumph as the gate flew open.

Hope looked down at her wrist and whispered the incantation to make the bracelet glow yellow, signaling to Alaric and Freya that they can bring the vans through.

"Come on," Hope said once the bracelet was glowing. They made their way to the front doors as quickly as their feet could take them. Hope was amazed that Josie was keeping up with her superior speed. She didn't even have to slow herself down so she could keep up.

They reached the doors in mere seconds, just as three triad agents flooded through them. Hope quickly sent one flying, allowing her and Josie to each take an agent. Hope's agent raised his gun at her, allowing Hope to kick the gun free from the man's hand. He looked up at the gun in surprise, giving Hope an opening to kick him in the sternum. He went flying backward a few feet, hitting the building and knocking him out cold. Hope caught the gun that was descending back to Earth and turned to point it at the woman she had sent flying earlier. The agent glared at Hope, with her own gun raised. Then, suddenly her gun was gone, flying through the air past Hope. Hope turned to see Josie coming to stand next to her with the gun pointed at the agent.

"We don't want to hurt you," she said clearly. "Get on you knees and toss us your cuffs."

The agent looked like she wanted to make a break for it, but she knelt and tossed her cuffs. Josie put the gun on the ground and picked up the cuffs. She carefully moved towards the agent and cuffed her hands behind her back.

Hope pocketed the gun she was holding and looked back to the other two agents. She smiled when she saw the agent Josie had been fighting. He was covered in blood, from a clearly broken nose. "Damn babe. You really messed him up."

"He's still alive, though, right?" Josie asked worried.

Hope bent down and felt for his pulse, sighing in relief when she felt it strong and steady. "He's good, boo. Just knocked out. Guess you have more power than we thought. Come on. Let's cuff them to the railings and head inside. She can show us the way."

They quickly cuffed them to the railing, and grabbed their keys, then pushed the woman into the building. Gunshots could be heard in the distant, which worried Hope. She hoped everyone was alright.

Hope and Josie sealed the door behind them, so no one could get out behind them, then headed down the hallway toward the gunshots.

"What do you want?" the agent asked.

"We're here to close Malivore and to stop you from creating weapons that can kill our friends."

"Malivore?" she asked.

"The pit of mud where you throw all the creature you collect into," Hope said.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Hope rolled her eyes at the woman. "Of course you don't. Look, we're not here to kill you. That's all you need to know." She peeked around the corner and then ducked quickly back. "Pen and Raf are fighting half a dozen agents."

"Okay. Let's put her in there and then go help," Josie suggested and pointed to the door to the left of them.

Hope nodded her head and then pushed the agent through the door. The room was a small office, with a large desk, a chair and a small filing cabinet. She tossed the cuff keys to Josie, and then went to check the desk for any weapons of things she could use to pick the lock.

Josie forced the agent to sit on the ground and cuffed her to the desk. "You'll be safe here. So just stay. You'll be released later on," she said kindly.

"Yeah. Like I can trust anything you say," the agent growled.

Josie glared at the woman. "We're not the one's experimenting on innocent people to try and kill people like me."

The agent looked away from Josie and didn't say a word.

"Come on," Hope said. "She'll be safe here. We need to help Pen and Raf out."

Hope gently pulled Josie from the room and peeked around the corner. "They have two down," she whispered.

"Then let's cloak ourselves and sneak up on them," Josie suggested.

Hope nodded and took Josie's hand. They whispered the spell to cloak themselves from everyone else but not each other. They smiled at one another as they felt the magic blanket them. Quickly they moved towards their friends, sneaking up on agents. Hope grabbed the nearest agent and wrapped her arm around his throat applying just enough pressure to slowly knock him out, just like Alaric taught her.

To her right she saw Josie doing the same. She smiled, happy that MG and Kaleb had allowed the rest of the team to practice on them for a several days. She would have to do something nice for them once all this was over.

The two agents Penelope and Rafael were fighting were momentarily distracted by their colleagues suddenly dropping to the floor, giving them the opening they needed to take them down. Penelope made her guy go flying over the fallen agents, sending him crashing into the wall behind them. He slumped to the floor unconscious.

Rafael on the other hand, punched his agent in the face with such force his head snapped back and her went soaring through the air, landing just behind Josie and Hope. Thankfully they both ducked, or the man would have taken them down with him.

Hope and Josie grabbed hands and whispered the counter spell, and a moment later they felt the magic lift off of them.

"Thanks for the assist," Penelope said. "But we totally had them. Right Raf?"

"Right!"

"Yeah, I bet you did," Hope smiled at them and looked over the fallen agents. "They should be out for a while."

"The top floor is clear," Penelope replied. "Stanly and Jasmine are pulling everyone into the conference room."

"Good. You guys sweep this floor. Josie and I are heading down to secure Malivore."

"Gotcha," Penelope said.

The pairs separated, with Hope and Josie going down the stairs to the left of them and Penelope and Rafael going to the right.

As they descended the stairs, the gunfire got louder and the amount of magic in the air grew. It tickled at their skin, causing the hairs to raise.

They paused at the base of the stairs and peeked around the corners. "It's safe," Josie said.

"The control room should be that way," Hope said, pointing to the left. "We need to get to the Malivore room though, which is this way."

"Let's go then," Josie said, and lead the way down the long corridor.

They had just reached the double doors when a shot rang out from behind them. Hope went to pull Josie down to the ground and out of harm's way, but she found herself being thrust to the floor with Josie lying over top her. The mud bullet hit the door mere inched above them.

Josie turned to the woman shooting at them and threw a fire ball at her in anger. The woman tried to get out of its path, but the fireball hit her shoulder, tossing her backwards and lighting her jacket on fire. A few seconds later she was being doused in water, by a spell Hope sent her way.

Hope looked up at Josie in shock. She couldn't believe Josie had been quicker than she was, and she had not expecting the anger that was wafting through their bond. "Josie. It's okay. I'm okay. Calm down sweetie."

Josie looked at Hope and took a deep breath. "She nearly shot you," she growled.

"And you saved me… us," Hope replied.

"Of course I did. I'm not about to let you die," Josie stated matter-of-factly. "Do you think she's alright?"

"I don't know," Hope said honestly. They helped each other stand, and then Hope carefully stepped toward the woman, who appeared to be knocked out. She grabbed the gun that the woman dropped when Josie's fireball hit her, then knelt beside her. There was a hole in her clothing, allowing Hope to see the burnt skin beneath. She reached out and felt for a pulse, when suddenly the woman's eye's snapped open.

The woman reached for Hope with her uninjured arm, but Hope swatted it away and pointed the gun at her. "Don't move," she commanded, and then reached into her coat pocket. She pulled out a little tin and held it over the woman's face. "This will heal you. All you have to do is stand down and you can have it."

The woman looked skeptical but nodded her head none-the-less.

"Give me your handcuffs and keys," she demanded lightly. When both items were in her hands, Hope helped the woman sit up. "I'm going to cuff your legs together. Coat the burn liberally with the salve and it should heal in a few minutes."

The woman said as she popped open the tub and began coating her burn carefully. She signed in relief as the salve began to heal the burn almost instantly. "Thank you. I'm sorry I shot at you."

"It's okay," Hope said. "You're just doing your job. Sit tight. Someone will be by to take you upstairs then." She stood up and went back over to Josie. "Boo boo, great reflexes, but I though we discussed you not using fire today? We're here to shut Malivore down, not burn the place to the ground."

Josie gave Hope a sheepish look. "Sorry. It was the first thing that came to mind."

Hope chuckled. "Come on, my sweet pyro, before someone else decides to shoot at us."

The double doors they went through led them into another hallway, which they followed until they reached the locked door. "This is it," Hope said and reached for Josie's hand, and just like earlier, they each placed a hand on the door and chanted the spell to unlock it.

They smiled when they hear the door unlock with a soft click. They hurried through into a room filled with monitors. The man sitting in front of them twirl in her chair, pulling out his gun as he moved.

Josie, waved her hand, sending the gun flying across the room. The man looked at his gun less hand in shock and then raised his hands in the air. "Good choice."

Hope took a few steps towards him. "We won't hurt you if you do exactly as we say. Got it?" The man nodded his head. "Good. Let's start with opening the door to the pit."

He stood up slowly and made his way over to the door and slide his keycard through the card reader. The door swung open on its own and remained open.

"Thanks," Hope replied. "You can sit back down now."

The man did as she told, and then she took his pair of hand cuffs and cuffed him to the table. While Hope was doing that, Josie whispered the incantation to light up the bracelet red, letting everyone know they had succeeded.

A few moments later, their bracelets glowed blue, informing them that the building was no secure. A few moments later the bracelet turned to green, and they both sighed in relief. Green meant none of their people were severely hurt.

"You ready for the next part boo?" Hope asked. Hinting at the possible fight they were going to have to partake in once Malivore knew they were trying to shut him down.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Josie replied and then bent down to give Hope a kiss.

They walked through the open door onto the landing and carefully looked over the railings to get their first look at the pit.

"That looks gross," Josie commented. "Why is it bubbling?"

"I don't know," Hope said. "Maybe it's breathing."

"It's so weird to think a pit of mud has been cause so much trouble."

Hope put her hand over Josie's. "In a few hours, we won't have to worry about it anymore. Come on. Let's take this guy to the conference room, and then meet up with the witches."

Josie nodded her head and followed after Hope.


	17. Malivore

Chapter 17: Malivore

Hope, Josie, Penelope, and Lizzie stood on the landing overlooking the Malivore pit watching as the witches prepared for the spell. Freya looked up at them, the crystal that was acting as the bomb in her hand. "I'm ready for you."

Hope nodded, then led Josie and Lizzie down the stairs to her aunt. They were careful not to disturb the witches quietly chanting to themselves and drawing symbols on the cement floor.

Freya held the large egg-shaped crystal out for Hope to take. "You know the drill. Just make sure you don't drain yourself this time. We need you to have magic to help fight anything Malivore might send our way."

Hope nodded her head and sat down on the floor in front on Freya. She crossed her legs and rested her hands on them at the cross. She closed her eyes and whispered, "Magicae translatio." Her hands began glowing yellow, as the swirling golden cloud inside the crystal began circling, welcoming the magic Hope was giving it, mixing it with the magic that was already trapped within.

She felt the magic seep from her, and just as she felt like there was no more to give, her eyes snapped open and she gasped, "Prohibere." The gold cloud slowed to a slow-moving swirl as Hope handed the crystal back to Freya.

Lizzie went next, repeating the same process as Hope, although she didn't have as much magic as Hope to give. It only took her a few minutes to transfer her magic to the crystal.

Josie took her sister's place and repeated the same process. Only this time it felt different to her. The rush of power flowing out of her was intense and unlike anything she felt before. The previous time she had done this it was like a slow trickle of power seeping from her, similar to how she feels when she siphons. It felt different this time. Like someone had opened the tap and the power was flowing out of her on full blast. There was also more magic in her than she believed. Definitely more than the previous times she transferred her magic.

Her eyes snapped open and she gasped, "Prohibere." She closed her eyes again and gave herself a moment to regain her magic.

"Are you okay, Josie?" Freya asked. She knelt down in front of her with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm fine," Josie said and then opened her eyes. "It was just different this time."

Hope knelt down behind her and place her left hand on her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"The magic rushed out of me this time. Usually it's like a trickle."

"You were at it for longer than usual too," Freya noted, a touch of concern in her tone. "Do you still have magic in your reservoir?"

"Yeah," Josie said. "I actually feel like I'm still full."

"But you put so much in," Lizzie commented. "Almost as much as Hope did."

Freya took the crystal from Josie. "Maybe is has to do with the bond. You might be able to pull magic from Hope." The bracelet around Freya's wrist turned red. "Looks like its time. You girls go and be safe."

"We will."

"I love you. Always and forever." She leaned forward and kissed Hope on the forehead.

"I love you too Auntie. Always and forever."

They made their way through the empty building, and out the front entrance, the only access point that hadn't been spelled shut. The rest of their group was standing around. Alaric and Kaleb were standing together far away from the two of the wolves from the bayou were already wolfed out, while Raf was standing awkwardly next to Keelin in nothing but his boxers, staring up at the full moon.

"I take back what I said earlier," Penelope commented. "Dog boy can share my bed anytime he wants."

"He is good in bed," Lizzie agreed.

"Ugh… Can you two not be so crass," Josie groaned.

"Says the girl who was so telepathically sending Hope naughty thoughts with both your families ten feet away earlier," Penelope countered, causing both Josie and Hope to blush. "That's what I thought," she chuckled.

Hope rolled her eyes at her and walked over to her aunt and Rafael. "You doing okay?" she asked him.

"Honestly, I've been better," he answered.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Auntie Freya brought a ring, so you don't have to change," Hope said.

"No. I'm sure. I'll be stronger and faster as a wolf," he said, then look over at the pack of wolves. "Your mom's pack are cool Hope. They've been telling me about pack life and the bayou. It sounds great."

"It is," Hope agreed sadly. She missed being around the pack, but it was different since her mother passed. Some of them looked to her to lead them. They wanted her to take her place as the pack's alpha after she was finished with school. She wasn't sure that was what she wanted though. "It won't be long now. Just remember not to bite the vamps. I may be able to save them, but a bite from a wolf hurts like hell, or so I've been told."

"Right. No vamp biting."

At that moment, his ankle snapped sending him the ground in pain. Hope knelt beside him. "Just breath and let it happen. Don't fight it. Concentrate on your breathing, and it'll be over soon."

Then Hope felt something strange with in her. Her wolf typically called to be free during the full moon, begging for her run wild. This was different though. This feeling wasn't coming from her wolf, but from the bond she shared with Josie.

She whipped around to look at her mate in shock, her eye's wide and her mouth dropped open slightly. It could be what she was thinking, and yet as she watched her love's face contort in pain, she knew it was.

Hope ran to Josie's side just as the woman dropped to the ground in pain. The sound of Josie's bones breaking made her cringe, and the feel of Josie's pain through their bond made her want to stop it. She knew she couldn't though.

Josie's cry of pain caused everyone to turn to look at her. Caroline was by their side within a second and Alaric made it just as Lizzie dropped to the ground in pain, her twin bond with Josie surely at fault.

"Hope, what's happening?" Alaric yelled frantic.

"She's shifting," Hope answered and then tuned them out. She focused solely on the bond she shared with Josie. She brought the pain Josie was feeling into herself, and then silently talked her through the transition. _"Josie. I need you to listen to me. Focus on my voice."_

_"It hurts Hope. What's going on? What's happening to me?"_

_"You're shifting into a wolf."_

_"But how?"_

_"It's the bond. It's gotta be."_

_"Ow Hope, it hurts so much,"_ Josie cried, and Hope was sure her heart broke at the sound. She wanted nothing more than to make it stop, but only Josie could do that.

_"I know booboo. I know. I just need you to focus on me and let the change happen. Don't fight it or it's going to hurt more. Just breath in and out. Feel the ground beneath our hands. Do you feel the grass between our fingers?"_

_"Yeah,"_ Josie whimpered.

_"Good."_ Hope sighed as she felt Josie shift through the bond. She felt every bone in Josie's body break and contort. She felt the hair grow long and thick. She felt Josie's fingers and toes grow and shift into claws. She opened her eyes and staring back at her were a pair of glowing yellow, attached to a beautiful brown wolf. _"See. You did it."_

"Hope… Hope… Hope…" Alaric was frantically saying.

She looked up to find him kneeling beside Lizzie, cradling her in his arms. "Is she alright?" she asked concerned.

"I'm fine," she growled weakly. Her lips were trembling slightly and there was a fine layer of sweat covering her body. "What the hell, Hope? Why is my sister a werewolf?"

"I don't know," Hope said and then looked back to her mate. The pain she was experiencing had dissipated allowing her to feel Josie's worried feelings, but also the content feeling her mother's and Penelope's soft petting was causing. She snorted and explained when they looked at her confused. "She likes the petting."

"Of course she would," Penelope snorted and then rubbed her ears.

"She always liked it…" Caroling began but was cut off by a sharp howl, which turned into another and another.

Hope turned around to see what the commotion was about. All of the wolves were staring at the gate, where a flood of magical creatures were passing through. She stood and yelled, "This is it. Everyone get ready." She helped Lizzie get to her feet. "You okay?"

"Yeah. The pains gone," she replied.

"Good. Stay with Pen. You two keep each other safe," she demanded lightly.

They both nodded.

Hope turned around to face the hoard coming their way, then looked down at the wolf standing next to her. _"If I'm right, you should be able to use magic in this form. I think now would be a good time for my sweet pyro to come out to play."_

Josie boar her teeth in what Hope swore was a smile, just as she heard Josie say, _"Finally."_

Hope chuckled and then charged at the closest monster, what she was sure was another merman. She sent a blast of fire at him, which he ducked, causing the fire ball to hit what look to be an ogre. The ogre looked over at her, just as the merman stood back up and charged.

"Damn," she whispered as he pummeled into her, causing both of them to crash to the ground him She grabbed his face and tried to push him off, but he was a lot stronger than she thought. It was almost like he was dead weight. She whispered. "Dimiterre," and the merman went flying over her head.

Just in time for her to send another fireball at the ogre heading her way, this time the fireball lit his shirt on fire. Hope pulled out her dagger and rammed it into the large green creature's thick neck, before quickly removing it. Green blood spurted out of the wound as the creature tried frantically to cover the wound with one hand, while patting the still smoking fire with the other. His fight only lasted a few seconds before his large body slumped to the ground.

Hope didn't have time to make sure he was indeed dead because the merman was back and had her head in a vice grip, cutting off her air flow. Before Hope could try to get the merman off of her, Josie was tearing into the creature's side, effectively causing the merman to release her. She turned to see her mate tearing into the creature, though he was trying to fight her off.

She took the dagger in her hand and thrust it into his chest, where she hoped his heart was. A few a moment the creature stopped moving. _"Thanks."_

_"Anytime babe."_

Hope looked around to see the damage so far. Penelope and Lizzie were fighting a two headed purple creature. Caroline was winning a fight against a gorgon. Alaric was next to Caroline stuck as a statue. (Hopefully to be cured once the gorgon Caroline was fighting was dead.) Raf, the only black wolf, was tearing apart a giant snake. God, she hoped that wasn't a Basilisk. Rebekah was battling with a wraith. Marcel was fighting a winged man with red eyes. Kaleb was playing a game of catch me with two very tall elves. The wolves were all attacking the same creature, a giant cat. While, Keelin was fighting off a murder of crows, more than likely a result of a puppet master.

Hope looked around and sure enough she saw a man hiding next to the building. She sent a chain of electric towards him, causing the man to shake from the powerful current. All the crows attacking her aunt dropped to the ground at the same time he did.

She looked around and saw more creatures coming through the gate, more than what they would be able to handle in a single combat. She looked down at Josie, who was watching the same thing Hope was. _"I have an idea."_

Josie looked up at her girlfriend and listened very carefully what Hope was telling her.

A ball of fire formed in front of them, rolling around in the same place and growing rapidly in size until the ball was the size of a beach ball. Instead of tossing the giant ball forward, like she did down in the werewolf cells, the ball of fire rose in the sky until it was several feet in front on them. Then suddenly a string of fire shot out and hit the closest creature, then another and another and another.

Behind her, Hope could hear Penelope yelling for them to retreat, allowing Hope and Josie to continue their work without fearing hurting one of their own.

The creatures continued to flood through the gates, a singular mission forcing them to attack. One by one they were hit with the powerful strike of fire, until finally the ball of fire dissipated. By which time the majority of the creatures were dealt with.

Still some remained, either because the fire did little to harm them, or a few stranglers who where still coming through the gates, though slower than they previously were. The wolves attacked, followed by the remaining vamps and witches.

Penelope and Lizzie came up beside them attacking any creature that dared to come near them, allowing Hope and Josie to gather their breath and strength. The spell had worked, but it had been a powerful spell, that took a lot out of their reserves.

Just as they regained their footing a hoard of orange goblins attacked them at once. Hope went to cast a spell to knock it backwards, but her reserves were tapped. She didn't have time to anchor herself to earth to draw power from nature, allowing two of the goblins to get the upper hand. She fell backwards, hitting the ground hard, momentarily stunned. The goblins were on top of her, grabbing at the neck and arms as she attempted to fight them off.

Then Hope got the strangest feeling. Like the flow of magic was suddenly reversed and her magical reserves were being filled again. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock. The flow of magic was being reversed because she was siphoning the magic from the goblins who were attacking her. She stared at her glowing hands in shock, not trusting her own eyes, and yet she could feel it. She could feel the magic rushing into her body like someone had opened the tap on full blast.

The goblins dropped beside her, dead from the lack of magic in their bodies.

"Ha," she heard Penelope yell, and then she was suddenly looking up at her triumphant face. "I knew I wasn't dreaming. You were siphoning me."

Hope stared up at Penelope, still in shock because of what she just did. First her girlfriend was changing into a wolf and now she was siphoning magic. What the hell was going on?

Penelope offered her a hand and help Hope up. Lizzie was still fighting her own goblin and Josie was a few yards away from them fighting another ogre. She seemed to be winning. The creature was bleeding from multiple spots and they were clearly moving slower than they should be. Josie circled the beast and then leaped onto their back to clasp her jaw around their neck. The creature suddenly reached back, just as Josie went for their neck and tossed her several yards behind Hope.

Hope felt a jolt of pain reverberate through their bond, just as she heard Josie whimper. Anger filled Hope at her mate being hurt and she charged at the creature, her dagger raised high and a lightning spell on her lips. The strike of lightning hit the creature in the chest sending it flying backwards. Hope leaped through the air landing on to the creature, her dagger striking the creature in just inches away from where the lightning had.

She didn't bother to remove her dagger from the corpse, before she turned and made her way back to Josie, who was slowly getting up off the ground. "Are you okay?"

_"Yeah. I am now."_

_"I felt you break something."_

_"It was a rib, but it's healed already. Perks of being a wolf, which is strange by the way."_

_"No stranger than me siphoning the life out of two goblins."_

_"What? Wait… That was you I felt doing that. How is that possible?"_

_"I'm thinking this is all because of the bond. It has to be that, right?"_

Hope heard Alaric (who was thankfully saved by Caroline's defeat over the gorgon,) calling her name from behind her. She turned to look at him, to find him pointing at the gates. More creatures were flooding through.

"Damn," she said. She turned back to Josie. "Stay safe booboo."

_"Same goes for you, babe."_

Hope stood up and went back to the ogre to retrieve her dagger, and then charged at the horde of creatures. She stabbed an elf in the stomach with her dagger at the same time she threw a lightning bolt at a gorgon. The gorgon went flying back into a group of gnomes, sending them flying like bowling pins. She pulled out her dagger and thrust it into the neck of manticore, a lion with a human head, much like The Great Sphinx in Egypt. The manticore clawed at her, slashing for tear marks into her jacket, as they died.

A minotaur came rushing at her before she could retrieve her dagger. She sidestepped the creature, then turned and threw a lightning bolt at them. It hit the creature in the back, causing them to let out a ferocious roar. They turned back to Hope and charged at her again. Instead on sidestepping, Hope leaped into the air and kicked the creature in the head with all of her force. The minotaur was thrown backwards several feet, landing right next to Lizzie, who reached down and thrust her own dagger in the creature's neck.

"Thanks," Hope said.

"No problem, Sis," Lizzie replied with a smirk. Her smirk dropped and her eyes widened slightly. "Duck," she yelled.

Hope dropped to the ground, narrowly missing what looked like a whip of pure energy Lizzie sent at it. She rolled over and watched at the whip wrapped around another's minotaur's neck, snapping it as she pulled the whip of energy backwards.

"Damn," Hope said impressed. Hope tumbled backwards and leapt to her feet. "Remind me never to piss you off." Hope went back to the manticore she killed earlier and pulled her dagger out. She looked around and was surprised to see some of the creatures were retreating.

"That's strange," Lizzie commented, noticing the same thing Hope did.

"Auntie Freya must have succeeded," Hope said, and then looked at Lizzie. "Malivore must be gone, and with him, his power over the creatures. They're free to go live their lives now."

"What do you think happened to the monsters still in Malivore?"

"I don't know," Hope answer. "Come on, let's help Penelope before she loses to a horde of gnomes."

"But is so fun to watch her fight off being's that are half her size," Lizzie pouted.

"I see where Josie gets her evil streak from," Hope rolled her eyes.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Lizzie smiled.

Hope smiled and shook her head in amusement, then made her way over to where Penelope was being attack by a dozen gnomes. "Need some help," she asked amused.

"Yes please," Penelope yelled as she kicked one gnome while another crawled onto her back.

Hope went over and picked one up by the back and looked it. "Malivore's gone. You can stop fighting now and go live your lives."

The gnome looked at Hope with a confused look on it's face. Hope turned it around to show that other creatures were retreating and gestured towards them. The gnome looked back at Hope with an understanding look and then frantically started yelling something Hope could understand to the rest. They all froze and looked up at their friend.

Penelope grabbed the one still on her back and gently set him down with the rest. Then watched as they all started making their little gnome way back towards the gate. Hope put down the one she was holding and chuckled as they tripped trying to run after their friends.

"Thanks," Penelope said as she picked her dagger up. "They reminded me of the Minions. Didn't feel right killing them."

Hope chuckled, "Anytime, minion girl." She turned to look for Josie, who was making her way over to them.

_"Is it over?"_

_"Yeah. Seems like it. You okay."_

_"I will be once you tell me how to shift back."_

_"Sorry boo, it's your first shift so nature decides when you're shifting back."_

_"Really. How quickly did you shift back your first time?"_

_"Like an hour after, but I was also worried about my dad, so that might have played a part. My dad was a wolf for like three days after his first change."_

_"THREE DAYS. Hope I cannot stay a wolf for three days."_

Hope knelt down and put her hands on Josie's shoulders and soothingly said, "Hey. It's okay. I doubt it'll be that long, but you have to accept this new part of you, or the wolf will fight like hell to stay in control."

_Okay. Okay,"_ Josie sighed.

_"I'm sorry I turned you into this,"_ Hope sighed.

_"Hey. Wait,"_ Josie said, and then stood up and put her paw on Hope's thigh. _"I'm not mad Hope. Actually, I think this is kind of cool. We're both wolves now. You always felt so free when you went running, and I kind of imagined what it would be like if I was a wolf too, and now I am. It's just…"_

_"What is it boo. You can tell me anything. I promise."_

_"It's just… I really have to pee, Hope."_

Hope threw her head back and laughed. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help it. Here she was worried Josie was going to hate being a wolf, and the reason she wanted to shift back was so simple and innocent.

Josie stamped her paw of the ground and growled lightly, clearly not happy with her mate's amusement.

"What's so funny, Hope," Penelope asked as she came to stand next to Hope, only to take a giant step back when Josie growled at her. "Alright Padfoot, I don't need to know."

Lizzie came and stood beside Josie. "Raf's more Padfoot. Josie's totally like Lupin, so I think Moony works better for her."

Rafael came running up at the mention of his name and barked.

"Definitely Padfoot," Hope agreed. Rafael cocked his head, and whined. "What? Don't like the nickname Padfoot?" He cocked his head to the other side.

"He looks confused," Penelope commented. "Have you never read Harry Potter?"

Raf shook his head.

"Are you kidding me dude?" Penelope gaffed. "Damn. I take back what I said. No boy who hasn't read Harry Potter is sharing my bed."

Hope rolled her eyes. "He's standing right here. He can understand you."

Penelope shrugged her shoulders. "So."

"Hey guys," Caroline said, coming up to stand in between Penelope and Lizzie. "Are you all alright?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Forbes-Salvatore. None of us are hurt," Penelope said.

"Caroline dear. When we're not in school, just Caroline is fine," she said and place her hand on Penelope's shoulder. "I'm glad none of you are hurt, but I was actually wondering about your mental health, not your physical."

"We're okay Mom," Lizzie assured her.

"Alright, just know it's okay if you're not, and if you want to talk, I'm always here for you," Caroline informed them.

"Thank you," Hope said and then stood up. "We should probably burn the bodies. There are too many to bury." She looked around at the carnage they created.

"That's a good idea, Hope," Caroline agreed. "Let's start dragging them into one pile."

Hope nodded her head. "You guys go ahead. Josie and I have to take care of something first." Hope looked down at Josie and said, "Come on boo. Let's go take care of that thing quick." Josie followed Hope around the side of the building and back into the woods. "Go ahead. Go pee. I'll keep watch while you go."

_"You promise not to look?"_ Josie asked shyly.

_"I promise booboo."_

Josie trotted into the woods and returned a few minutes later.

"Feel better?"

_"Much."_

_"Good. I'd hate for your wolfy experience to be ruined by a shy bladder."_

_"I can't wait until we can run together,"_ Josie said.

_"I can't either."_ Hope bit her lip and then asked. _"Can I tell you something?"_

_"Anything babe."_

Hope sat down next to Josie. _"I never got to run with either of my parents. My mom was already gone by the time I triggered my wolf side, and my dad was busy trying to save me the one time I turned while he was alive. He was there to talk me through changing, but I wished he had turned too and ran with me."_ She paused as tears flooded her eyes. The memory of her first time and the days that followed it still fresh in her mind. She was thankful to have that moment with her father, but it hurt to have lost him. _"Auntie Keelin runs with me when I'm home, but she doesn't enjoy it like I do and like my mother did. She only turns for me, which I appreciate. I love running with her, and I know she enjoys spending time with me, but it's not how I imagined being a wolf. I hope you like it, Josie. I hope you love being a wolf, just as much as I do. I hope that we can run through the woods together, happy and content with being out in nature. And I know this is selfish of me to want, but…"_

_"No,"_ Josie interrupted. She moved closer to Hope and laid her head on Hope's shoulders, giving her a wolf version of a hug. _"It's not selfish to want to be happy, or to crave something so innocent as a family to spend time with. I love you, Hope, and I know I can't replace your parents, but I can be here, every day to love and to cherish and to run wild and free with you. You are my family now, my mate, my love, and I hope one day you'll be my wife, even though technically you already are in a wolfy sort of way."_

_"Wife…"_ Hope said dreamily. _"I like the sound of that."_

_"Wifey…"_

Hope turned her head and kissed Josie's snout. _"Thank you, Josie."_ She chuckled and looked into Josie's eyes. _"Every day I think I can't fall anymore in love with this beautiful woman and then you go and do or say something that makes me fall even harder. You are so amazing, and I love you so much."_

_"I love you too Hope."_

They took a few minutes to allow Hope to composed herself, then headed back to the group. During their absence, the rest of the group had managed to pull almost all of the dead creatures into one large pile. Which wasn't much of a surprise considering the addition of the witches.

"It's about damn time," Penelope grumbled as she floated the body of an elf over to the pile. "Leave us to do all the grunt work."

"Sorry. We had something to take care of," Hope said.

"Well," Caroline said, as everyone stepped back away from the pile. "All that's left is the fire, so if someone wouldn't mind starting it up."

Josie barked and then let out a loud howl, causing Hope, Lizzie, and Penelope to laugh.

"Alright, my sweet pyro," Hope smiled, and waved towards the pile. "Go for boo."

Josie barked happily and stepped toward the pile. Everyone, the wolves, the witches, and the Josie's family and friends, watched in amazement as a ball of fire formed a few feet over the pile, and slowly stretched out to blanket the bodies, burning them from the top down.

Freya stepped up next to Hope and whispered. "She's impressive."

"She's amazing."

"You both are," she said. "I didn't believe them when they said Josie had shifted, until I saw her strut out with you. What else have you notice?"

Hope looked up at her aunt. "I can siphon magic now."

Freya's eyes widened. "So you both are sharing each other's abilities." Freya looked over a Josie who was sitting in front of the pile watching the bodies burn.

The quiet night was suddenly filled with howling, causing everyone to turn to where the howls were coming from. Rafael was standing by the building howling at the moon. He stopped suddenly and took off towards the side of the building.

"Wait," Alaric yelled and went to chase after him, but Hope stopped him before he could get to far.

"Wait. Doctor Saltzman. He's going to change back. The moon's setting." She pointed to the sky. The moon was beginning to sink into the night sky, and just over the horizon the pitch-black sky was a tad light than the rest."

"Damn. What time is it?"

"Just after five," Caroline answered.

"We should go release the agents and start heading back to the school." He looked at his daughter, who was still sitting in front of the dying fire and still a wolf. "Why is she not changing back?"

"Because she's not beholden to the moon. She's like me, and them." She pointed at the pack of wolves who were still in wolf form. "We have no control over the first turn, or when you shift back."

"But she will turn back right?"

"Yeah, she'll turn back," Hope chuckled.

"Alright," he said. "Why don't you girls go get in the van and rest while we go take care of the Triad people."

Josie let out a howl, startling everyone, and then whimpered. At the same time Lizzie dropped to the ground yelling in pain, and that same pain reverberated through the bond to Hope.

Hope pulled her jacket off and threw it over Josie and knelt down in front of her. "Don't fight it. Breath and let it happen. Set the pain to the side and think about being human again." She looked over her shoulder to Penelope and said. "Can you get my bag out of the van, please. I have a spare set of clothing in it." Penelope nodded and ran off towards the van.

When Hope turned back to Josie, she was looking into her girlfriends dazzling brown eye again. Josie was doing her best to cover herself with Hope's jacket, but Josie was much taller than Hope and it wasn't covering everything at once.

Hope heard someone clear their throat. She looked up to find Marcel standing over them, with his jacket in his outstretched hand, while looking up towards the sky.

She took the jacket with a soft, "Thank you," and pulled it around Josie's shoulder, placing it over her own jacket. Marcel's jacket was much large than hers and covered Josie nicely while they waited for Penelope to return.

"You look tired booboo," Hope said quietly as she helped Josie stand.

Josie leaned against Hope, soaking up her warm embrace. "I am. We had a busy night and I never realized how much changing into a wolf could take out of a person."

Hope chuckled, "It gets easier over time."

Lizzie cleared her throat dramatically. "What about me? I felt every damn breaking bone too."

"What? You want some lovings too?" Hope asked in a sappy voice.

Lizzie crossed her arms and huffed, "Maybe."

Hope smiled and said, "Okay. Just wait a sec. Pen will be back in a few and I'm sure she'd love to give you some lovings."

Lizzie's mouth dropped open in shock and appall, while Josie started to laugh hysterically into Hope's neck. She tried to hide it at first, but it was futile as the laughter grew more and more out of control.

All the adults turned to see what was so funny, and despite not understanding, Josie's contagious laughter brought smiles to their faces. Even Lizzie cracked a smile, though Hope could tell she was trying very hard not to.

Penelope ran up beside Hope and handed her bag to her, then looked around curiously. "What's so funny?" she asked innocently, which caused Josie's laughter to increase and Hope to join in.

"You don't wanna know," Lizzie grumbled.

"It's about us again, isn't it?"

Lizzie nodded her head and then glared at Hope, who threw her free hand up in the air in defeat.

Penelope punch Hope on her arm as hard as she could, while glaring full force at her.

"Hey," Hope yelled accosted. "What'd ya do that for?"

"For being an evil ass," Penelope growled as she crossed her arms.

"Evil? Says the evil ass who messed with me when I was afraid about going low," Hope countered.

"You what?" Josie asked, suddenly sober.

"Hey. It was innocent," Penelope said. She threw her hands in the air and took a step back. "I was just trying to lighten the mood. You know, make her feel better and all that crap."

A devilish grin crossed Josie's lips and a second later she was sending a tiny lightning bolt at her. It hit her thigh causing her to jump. "Hey…" she yelled and send her own shock towards Josie's bare thigh.

"Ow," Josie yelled at the same time both Lizzie and Hope yelled, "Hey."

Penelope had a split second to realize Hope and Lizzie both were about to send shocks flying at her, allowing her to evade them by taking off with more speed than a witch should have. Hope and Lizzie shared a brief look and then chase after Penelope, each sending their own shocks towards her, laughing as they went.

Josie, who was still standing in nothing but Hope and Marcel's jackets, quickly grabbed Hope's fallen bag and pulled out the spare set of clothing. She hastily threw the clothing on, and chased after them, not caring that Hope's clothing came up to her calves midway, or that there was a half an inch gap showing her tone stomach off.

She chased after them, her feet still bare having misplaced her shoes, slipping slighting in the dew-covered grass, catching up to them just as Hope crashed into Penelope, taking them both to the ground.

Lizzie piled onto them in a fit of laughter and took the opportunity to tickle both of them as they struggle to separate. Hope and Penelope giggled under Lizzies attack, as they struggled to evade her long dexterous fingers. Hope was certain Lizzie had cast a spell to make it seem like her fingers where everywhere.

Josie came up behind her sister and attacked her with her own fingers, eager to save her loving girlfriend from the onslaught of tickles. Lizzie squealed when Josie tickled her sides, causing her to jump forward over Hope and Penelope, putting her in the perfect position for them to also attack her with tickles.

Across the field, Freya, Rebekah, Keelin, Marcel, Alaric and Caroline watched the girls in amusement, each happy that their girls were so happy. With Malivore gone and the treat of the merge no longer hanging over them, they could all look toward the future.


	18. Happy Birthday Hope

Chapter 18: Happy Birthday Hope

Hope and Josie stood just inside the forest so no one could see their naked bodies. It had been a day since the Malivore/Triad battle. They spent most of the day with being poked and prodded by Elena and Keelin, while being questioned endlessly by Caroline, Freya, and Alaric. In between the questions there were theories being thrown around, all of which seemed less plausible then the one before.

Finally Hope couldn't take it anymore and gently pulled Josie out of the room when none of the adults were looking.

"Are you ready?" Hope asked gently.

"No," Josie whimpered. The memory of the pain she endured the night before still fresh in her mind.

"It'll only hurt for a few minutes. Then we can run free. You'll love it."

Josie looked at Hope with a soft smile. "I know I will, because you'll be there."

Hope smile widely then shifted. She howled into the air happily and looked up to her mate. _"Just breathe and allow the change to happen. Close your eyes and imagine yourself as a wolf. Allow your wolf to take over. Allow her to break free."_

Josie nodded her head and took a noticeably deep breath and then closed her eyes. She whimpered as her bones began to break but let Hope's soothing voice fill her mind with comforting words, easing her through the shift.

A few minutes later Josie stood in front of Hope. She shook her head as she tried to ease out the lingering pain. _"How long until it doesn't hurt anymore?"_

_"It took a couple of months of me changing regularly before it stopped hurting so bad,"_ Hope answered.

Josie shrieked.

_"The more you shift the quicker the pain will go away,"_ Hope said. _"Come on. Let's run."_ She turned away from Josie and took off as fast as she could while saying, _"Catch me if you can."_ She bolted through the trees as fast as she could, knowing that Josie was hot on her heals. She was eager to share this side of being a wolf with Josie and was happy that she finally had someone to share this with. She just hoped that Josie enjoyed being a wolf just as much as she did. She would never be able to forgive herself for creating the bond if Josie hated it.

Josie was fast but she wasn't quite as fast as Hope. Once Hope realized this, she turned suddenly and pounced on Josie, sending them rolling down a small hill. She could hear Josie's laughter through their bond, which caused Hope to relax a little, happy that her mate was enjoying herself.

She nipped at Josie's tail and then ran back up the hill towards the open field. Josie seemed to be just a little faster than before, but she only ever was able to nip at Hope's tail. Hope stopped once she reached the center of the field.

Josie took the opportunity to tackle her to the ground, pinning her beneath her paws. She raised her head and let out a loud howl, then licked Hope's snout. _"I love you."_

Hope flipped them over and said, _"I love you too."_

Josie looked past Hope's head to stared at the waning moon, which still looked full. She looked into Hope's yellow eyes. _"I always wondered what it's like to be a wolf. I always thought it would suck, being beholden to the moon, to a beast inside, but this is nice. I feel… free and powerful. Like nothing can touch me."_

Hope laid down next to Josie, who turned to face her. _"I was worried you wouldn't like this."_

_"I know. Your fear has been bleeding through our bond all day."_

_"I'm sorry,"_ Hope instantly said.

_"Don't be. You can't help the way you feel."_ She looked up at the moon again. _"It looks different. Sharper and brighter. I can feel it calling to me. Like it's begging me to run."_

Hope looked up at the moon. She knew the feeling well. It was like a tickle in her chest, urging her forward, to run, to hunt, to play, and now she had someone there to share in those moments.

She didn't think life could get any better

Hosie-Legacies-Hosie

The next day Hope walked into Caroline's office with Josie, (where they were meeting Alaric, Caroline and Freya), with her stepfather's journal in hand. She had spent the entire night going through it, reading whole pages over and over again, until she was positive she figured out the answers to the questions all the adults wanted. Why are they sharing powers and how is Josie now a wolf?

She handed Freya the book, who just looked at her questioningly. "They figured out how to expand the bond to their whole pack," she said.

Freya looked at the book in confusion, then a few moments her eye's widened. "Of course," she said and tapped the book. "Why didn't I think of that before."

"Think of what?" Alaric asked.

"The Unification ceremony," she said, and then opened the book up to the pages Hope had marked and handed him the book. "The bond links them mind, body, and soul. The unification ceremony links spouses' body, giving them each other's powers as well as any wolf in attendance as long as they submit to the Alpha. They found a way to get the same results without the need of the emotional and spiritual bond so political marriages could occur, allowing packs to share their unique abilities with each other. After a while, the bond dropped away because all the alpha's were relatively even power wise and if it did occur, it wasn't often enough for people to remember it."

"Are you sure about this," Caroline asked as she looked at the book in Alaric's hands.

"I read it a dozen times," Hope declared. "It makes sense."

"I guess that answers that question," Alaric said, and then closed the book.

"We'd still like to see exactly how much of you, Josie is now experiencing," Caroline said.

So the next three weeks pasted in a blur of post-bond bliss and testing. Since Freya and Alaric realized that Hope and Josie were sharing powers, they set out to test just how much of Hope's abilities Josie was experiencing. Josie was eager to learn the scoop of her new abilities, so she went along with everything test they came up with.

They tested her strength with weights and found that she could bench almost as much as Hope. Then tested her speed, and as they though she was just as fast as Hope. They forced her to change into a wolf to measure her control, which Josie wasn't thrilled about. To help her get through it, she thought about what Hope had told her. The more she shifted, the faster the pain would fade from the change. They regretted doing that at the beginning of the day, because Hope shifted as well and they both took off into the woods to play and weren't able to get them back again for hours.

Josie's healing was tested by accident, when she accidentally punched herself during a training match against Kaleb. She spilt her lip open, and they all watched in amazement as the lip healed right in front of them.

They were curious to see if Josie's blood had the same healing properties as Hope's vampiric blood, so Penelope volunteered to be her guinea pig. Freya, Caroline, Alaric, Hope, Josie, and Lizzie all stood around and watched as Penelope placed as small cut on her arm and then drank a shot of Josie's blood. They were all shocked when the cut on Penelope's arm closed up, revealing that Josie was indeed a tribrid, same as Hope.

In addition to all of the physical test the adults were performing, Josie and Hope were forced to go through a full-scale psych evolution to asses any changes in their mental health. Other than a few bouts of anger and aggression Josie experienced, there wasn't much change. Although, the anger and aggression are typical for a newly turned wolf, she wasn't experiencing the levels they normally saw. Freya contributed that with being linked to Hope, who had excellent control over her wolf side.

Josie was also forced to see Elena, who had been her primary doctor since she was a kid, and was accustom to the differences between human, wolf, and vampire, almost every day. The only significant note Elena made, was the difference in her bodies muscle mass. Previous, Josie was thin and lank. Since the turn, Josie was still thin, but she had added about ten pounds of muscle over her body.

Since Hope only gained one power from Josie, her magical testing was concluded in a single session. Josie talked her through how to siphon, at which point Hope siphoned magic from various objects and people. Penelope once again volunteered to be the dummy to test Hope, and immediately regretted the decision. Hope help Penelope's hand in her own and began siphoning from her. A few seconds later, Penelope was yelling out in pain and violently retrieving her hand from Hope's.

"You're taking too much too fast," Josie explained, then talked Hope through how to only take a little at a time. Penelope reluctantly agreed to allow Hope to practice again, and only had to retrieve her hand once more before Hope got the hang of it.

In addition to Hope's siphoning testing, they also tested Josie's newfound ability to siphon herself, something that made Lizzie extremely jealous about. As a siphoner witch, her magical reservoir didn't automatically fill up like other witches nor was she able to tap into the earths magics when her reservoir was tapped. All the magic she had to use, had to come from other magical beings and items. However, unlike other witches, Josie's magical reservoir had no bottom. She could take as much as she wanted, and all that magic would be safely stored with in her.

For a week they forced her to refrain from siphoning and had her do spell after spell after spell, until surely, she couldn't possibly have any magic left within her. Still, she matched Hope spell for spell, leaving them to conclude that she was now connected to the worlds magical tap that come naturally for nature, same as Hope and every other witch, and her reservoir was now automatically filling up. In fact, since as a siphoner, Josie could take as much as she wanted without filling up, both she and Hope now had a near endless amount of magic power within them. Their reservoirs were automatically being filled with as much power as nature would allow them to take, (which was a lot) and they were able to take more through siphoning.

Since a witch's base power was measured by how big their reservoir was, Freya was sure they were two of the most powerful witches in the world, out ranked (maybe) by only those who practiced and tapped into magic that didn't come directly from nature. Like witches who tapped into the spirits or ancestral magic. Magic that wasn't monitored my nature.

Secretly, everyone had also begun monitoring their behavior. The watched their moods, and their mannerisms to see for anything that seemed to be different. Nothing out of the normal seemed to have changed much. The still seemed to be two very different people.

There were little things that people seemed to notice though. Like the time Josie expressed she was thirsty, and then Hope showed up a few minutes later with a strawberry milkshake in hand. Or the time Hope had forgot her silverware at lunch and Josie sat down not three seconds later with a pair in hand for her.

Hope and Josie later revealed that they automatically knew the others wants and desires. If one was thirsty, the other knew it. If one was hungry the other knew exactly what the other was craving. If Hope wanted to wolf out, Josie was right there with her. If Josie was horny, Hope knew exactly the moves to make Josie scream.

All in all, Hope and Josie were literally two side of the same coin.

Josie and Hope also found themselves spending nearly all of their time with one set of family members and less and less with their friends. Though this was mainly their friends doing. MG and Landon started spending a lot of their free time locked away in MG's room. Rafael and Kaleb began sparring with each other during the days they didn't have fight training. Then there was Penelope and Lizzie, who began spending less and less time with Hope and Josie and more and more time with each other. They swore up and down that there was nothing going on between them, but as the days wore on, Hope and Josie only saw Lizzie and Penelope during classes and mealtimes. Josie barely even saw Lizzie in their dorm room, because she usually was asleep by the Lizzie came in.

So instead they spent time with Freya, Keelin, Rebekah, and Faith, or had the occasional dinner with Alaric and Caroline. Hope was happy that Josie got along so well with her family, and that they seem to adore Josie. She was eager for Josie to officially meet her Uncle Kol and Aunt Davina and their son, who arrived into the world just a few days after the Malivore battle. They were arriving in town for her birthday dinner. She tried to get them to stay home as rest, but they insisted that they wanted to be there for her eighteenth.

The morning of her birthday, Hope was awoken by smothering kisses from her aunties Freya and Keelin, who she had spent the night sandwiched between. She woke with a smile of her face and the feeling of love being sent through her bond with Josie, who was sitting at the edge of her bed smiling at her and her aunts.

"Happy Birthday," Freya and Keelin said in unison.

"Thank you," she said and then sat up. Rebekah was standing over by her bed holding Faith you looked like she was still sleeping with a bottle in her mouth.

"Happy Birthday," Rebekah said quietly while she rocked the sleeping infant. "I'm surprised you slept through this little one's tantrum. She was not happy at all this morning."

"I was having the most amazing dream," she said and looked at her mate.

"Please tell me you two weren't having a sex dream with us in bed with you," Freya said.

"Eww Auntie Freya. No," Hope grimaced. "We were dreaming about Mom and Dad. They came to wish me a happy birthday."

"Oh. That sounds pleasant," she smiled.

"It was," Hope sighed happily.

"I brought you breakfast," Josie said, and then moved off the bed to retrieve the overloaded tray resting on Rebekah's bed. "I had the cooks whip up all your favorites. Chef Tanner even whipped up some of that lemon whip cream you love to go with your strawberry pancakes."

"Mmm," Hope hummed. She smiled widely at Josie and then leaned forward to give her a kiss, with Josie meeting her halfway. "I love you."

"I love you too," Josie gushed. "Eat and enjoy. I have to go. Mom's taking Lizzie and I into town to do a little shopping."

"Okay. Have fun."

"And be back here by four," Freya reminded her.

Josie nodded her head, "Wouldn't miss it for the world." She smiled widely at Hope then left.

Hope spent the day with her aunties, all of whom smothered her with hugs, kisses, and "Happy birthdays" every chance they got. She knew what they were doing. Smothering her with as much love as possible to make up for the fact that her parents couldn't physically be there.

Josie entered her room a few minutes before four, dressed in a long red dress, which conveniently matched Hope's black dress, a gift from her aunt who insisted she wear it for her birthday dinner.

Freya rushed them out of the room and outside where there was a limousine waiting for them. Hope rolled her eyes at her aunts, then help Josie into the long vehicle. They were only in the vehicle for a few minutes before the limo rolled up to Mystic Grill. At least they kept their word on the venue.

Marcel was waiting for them outside the restaurant and opened the car door with a smile. He offered Hope his hand, which she accepted with her own smile. She got here footing, then turned and mimicked Marcel's actions with Josie, who just shook her head with a little laugh. She dropped a kiss onto Hope's cheek and then offered Marcel her hand, who gently shook it with a hello.

Kol and Divina were waiting for them at the table. Well the several tables that the restaurant had pushed together to accommodate the large family. Hope threw herself into Kol's arms when she wa close enough to him. He twirled her around and dropped a kiss onto her head.

Divina, who was holding her three-week-old son, pulled Hope in for a hug, gently squishing the baby between them. She whispered, "Happy birthday," then let her go.

Hope looked down at her baby cousin with a smile. "May I hold him?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course you may," Davina said, and then gently passed the baby to Hope.

Hope smiled down at the tiny sleeping baby. She raised him up so she could give him a kiss on his cap covered head, then looked to her girlfriend. Hope didn't have to tell Josie that she wanted a baby one day. She knew her girlfriend could feel the desire, coursing through her.

"Hey," Freya said, snapping their gaze. "No head talking. It's rude."

"We weren't," Hope argued.

"Sure you weren't," Freya smiled with an eyeroll.

Hope rolled her eyes at her aunt and then handed Baby Josh to her, while Keelin was handing Faith to Kol.

Their dinner was pleasant. Her family shared the most embarrassing stories they had with Josie, which caused Hope to be in a constant state of blushing. She was happy how easily her family welcome Josie into the fold. Davina even handed Josie, Josh when the rest of the family had their turns. She was equally as happy to feel the content and happy feeling that were wafting through their bond. She had been afraid that Josie would feel awkward or uncomfortable around her family. Afterall, there had once been bad blood between her family and Josie's. But she felt nothing like that, and she was able to relax and enjoy her birthday.

A little after seven Freya announced that Alaric and Caroline wanted to have birthday cake with them all at the school. "Caroline's way of putting the past in the past," she explained.

They left after Freya paid the bill, leaving a hefty tip for the waiters at Hope's behest.

The school was oddly quiet when they entered, unusual for almost eight. Usually, there were students roaming the halls, chilling in the living room or studying in the library. They didn't come across a single soul as they made their way to the dining hall, where Caroline and Alaric were waiting for them. Hope chopped it up to Alaric's over-protective mind. More than likely his way of protecting the students from her unpredictable uncle.

Freya took them in through the banister, but it was so dark in the dining hall that even Hope couldn't see a thing from below. It was unnaturally dark.

"Are you sure this is where we're supposed to them?" She asked as she strained to see down the stairs.

"Positive," Freya said with an evil grin. "Revelare," she whispered, and suddenly the entire dining room lit up, revealing all of her friends and Caroline and Alaric standing there, staring up at her. Penelope and Lizzie were standing on either side of the banister looking up at them with smiles on their faces.

"Surprise," they roared.

Hope's mouth dropped in surprise, then looked at Josie, who looked just as shocked as she did. "You didn't know?"

"No. Not a clue."

She looked down at Penelope and Lizzie, suddenly realizing why they had been spending so much time together, causing tears to well in her eyes. They had managed to set aside their issues to plan a surprise party just for her. That alone was the sweetest gift anyone had ever given her.

She smiled at them and descended the stairs. She grabbed them each by an arm once she reached them and pulled them in for a hug. "So this is what you've been doing?"

"Yeah, so you can stop thinking were doing each other. It's gross," Penelope said.

Lizzie stepped back from Hope and said, "As much as it pains me to do so, I agree, it's gross."

"Alright". You aren't secretly dating," Hope said, throwing her hands in the air. "I can't believe you managed to keep this a secret."

"It wasn't hard," Penelope said. "You've been preoccupied with Josie and the bonding, Malivore, your family, that keeping it a secret was a breeze."

"Well thank you. This is amazing," Hope said and then pulled them in for another hug.

"Um… Guys…" Josie said hesitantly. "Why are there giant cut outs of Hope's parents by the food?"

"What?" Hope asked. She pulled away from her friends and looked around the dining hall. Sure enough, there were two life size cut outs of her parents. "Why?" she asked uneasily.

"It was Lizzie's idea," Penelope said quickly.

"Josie told me about your parents visiting in your dreams and how they are always around," Lizzie said hesitantly. "I thought you might like to have them here, in a physical form, since they're probably here anyways." At that moment both of the cut outs moved forward a few inches. "See. They're totally here."

Hope pulled Lizzie in for another hug and whispered, "Thank you."

"Hey… I helped… We had to sift through literally a thousand photos of your dad until we found the perfect picture. It wasn't easy."

Hope turned away from Lizzie and pulled Penelope back in for a hug.

"When did our niece turn into a hugging machine?" Kol asked Freya with a chuckle.

Hope threw her uncle a playful glare and then pulled Josie close as the rest of her friends swarmed her for hugs and birthday wishes.

Sometime later, after dances were shared, "Happy Birthday" was sung, candles were blown out and presents were opened, Hope ducked off to the corner of the dining hall to catch her breath, metaphorically speaking. She looked around the dining hall at her friends and family smiling happily at them all. Her eye's fell on the cut outs of her parents, and for a brief moment allowed herself a breath of grief. She knew they were here, watching her as she celebrated. It was sweet of Lizzie to think of this. To allow her parents to be there in a physical form.

She was reminded of just how different her life was. Three months ago she was the loner tribrid freak, who spent all her time sulking about her dead parents, instead of living like they wanted. She looked to where Penelope and Lizzie were arguing over the punch. Two people who were once, at best, her classmates and worst her rivals, were now her closest friends.

Her eyes scanned the room for where the boys were hiding, and found all four of them, MG, Landon, Kaleb, and Rafael, huddled together by DJ station, in what appeared to be a heated discussion. She smiled when MG threw his head back in laughter, and then caught Hope watching them. He waved at her, then gestured to the others to do the same. Four more friends she got to call hers.

The best change in her life was Josie, who Hope found running over to Penelope and Lizzie. She chuckled lightly when she tried to drag them both onto the dance floor, both of them resisting, but giving up after a few attempts. Neither of them could say no to Josie for very long.

Josie, her friend, her lover, her mate. The woman she was happily eager to share every moment of their lives together. The woman she hoped to one day marry and have maybe a baby or five with. Her everything.

She looked back at the cut outs of her parents and smiled at them. For the first time since their deaths she was happy and no matter what life had to throw at her, she was ready for it all. As long as she had her family and Josie and her friends by her side, she was good. She was excited to see her parents again, but only once she had lived her life to the fullest, just like they wanted.

She turned back to the dance floor and her eyes instinctually landed on Josie, who almost instantly looked up into Hope's eyes. _"Come dance with me bae,"_ She thought.

Hope smiled at Josie, then made her way across the room, straight into Josie's waiting arms. _"I love you,"_ she heard, and Hope was positive she could never be any happier than that moment.

_"I love you too, Booboo."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there. So that's it for Wolf Woes. Before you leave, I have a few things I'd like to say. First off, Thank you. This is the very first full-length fic that I have started that I have managed to finish, and I owe it to you. All of your encouraging words really helped to push me into finishing it. I have over a dozen on going fics that I've started over the last eight years. This is a huge feat for me, so Thank You!
> 
> Secondly, this is not the end. I have several fics planned. Starting with an Mg/Landon fic that starts in Wolf Woes and moves into the summer. For those of you who don't hate Pen, I have a one-shot planned for her, where she finds love. More than likely will be crossed over with another fandom, so if you have any suggestion, feel free to express them. Then we'll have two full length Hosie fics, starting two years from the end of this one. It's going to be Called Vampire Woes and the series is going to be called Legacies Woes. It won't be writing it right away. I want to see what season 2 brings us before starting it, but it will be coming.
> 
> Thank you again for reading my story and for all of the encouraging reviews. Y'all really have been great!


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